TEAM GEAR UP Federal Grant Award Summary

Milwaukee Public Schools received a $3.28 million Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education under the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), CFDA 84.334, with an award date of October 1, 2025, and a completion date of September 30, 2026. The TEAM GEAR UP initiative delivers comprehensive college preparation and readiness services to low-income students in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, including academic counseling, financial aid guidance, mentoring, tutoring, and scholarship assistance designed to increase high school graduation rates and improve postsecondary enrollment outcomes.

The program focuses on supporting eligible disadvantaged students, including those with disabilities, from Milwaukee Public Schools' 158 schools serving approximately 69,000 students, with particular emphasis on the district's predominantly low-income and minority student population (82.6% economically disadvantaged; 51.3% African American; 27.2% Hispanic). As part of GEAR UP's six- to seven-year grant structure, this one-year funding cycle supports Milwaukee Public Schools' ongoing commitment to educational equity and college readiness through evidence-based support services aligned with federal program requirements and performance metrics established under Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR).