Federal Grant Award Summary

The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY), operating as Lehman College in the Bronx, received a $2.3M 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) to implement the Bronx GEAR UP INSPIRES initiative. The award, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, will support comprehensive educational services designed to increase high school graduation rates and college readiness among low-income students in the Bronx, including those with disabilities. The initiative delivers academic counseling, financial aid guidance, mentoring, tutoring, and scholarship assistance to disadvantaged student populations, with the objective of improving postsecondary education enrollment and success outcomes.

As a Hispanic-Serving Institution and established administrator of federal grant programs, RFCUNY-Lehman College leverages its institutional capacity in education and student success programming to implement the GEAR UP project. The award supports the college's commitment to providing targeted support services that prepare eligible students from low-income backgrounds for successful transitions to higher education, consistent with the GEAR UP program's mandate to deliver six- or seven-year grants to states and partnerships serving disadvantaged student populations.