GEAR UP Kentucky
The GEAR UP Kentucky Vision: Every student prepared for postsecondary education.
The GEAR UP Kentucky Mission: The mission of GEAR UP Kentucky is to increase the number of students in low-income Kentucky communities who are ready to successfully transition to and through postsecondary education. We do this by providing services and support to prepare the whole student and equipping their families, institutions, and communities to promote and sustain student success.
About GEAR UP Kentucky
GEAR UP is a federal grant program created by Congress in 1998 to help students prepare for life after high school. The program focuses on schools where the majority of students live in low-income households, working with students, families, and educators so that more young people graduate high school ready to succeed in college, career training, or other postsecondary opportunities.
In October 2025, the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) was awarded a seven-year, $35 million GEAR UP state grant from the U.S. Department of Education. This is the fifth statewide GEAR UP grant awarded to CPE, highlighting the Council’s strong track record of improving student access and success. During its first 25 years, GEAR UP Kentucky served more than 66,000 students in 208 schools in 91 districts across the Commonwealth.
The current project will serve more than 10,000 students in 16 middle and high schools across eight districts:
- Anderson County
- Augusta Independent
- Bath County
- Mason County
- Mercer County
- Newport Independent
- Pendleton County
- · Washington County
Engaging students and their key influencers
GEAR UP Kentucky (GUK) aligns all project strategies and services to the “Four Pillars of Student Success,” a research-based framework developed by Dr. Aaron Thompson which recognizes that four key groups of influences are integral to equipping and empowering a student for postsecondary success: self (student), family, institution, and community.
SELF (Student) Pillar | Direct Services for Students
This grant project uses a hybrid delivery approach to directly serve students across seven cohorts:
GUK provides the following services to its students: advising and academic preparation; postsecondary transition curricula; early postsecondary and career experiences; peer engagement and leadership; and GEAR UP scholarships.
Family Pillar | Direct Services for Families
For parents and guardians, GUK provides advising and outreach, text outreach, resources, workshops, and materials to help them support their students’ postsecondary goals and transition.
Institution Pillar | School Support Services
For school and district partners, GUK provides school sustainability planning and funding, planning and professional development, advising and assessment, peer engagement and leadership, and family engagement support.
Community Pillar | Statewide Services
GUK, which has 22 statewide and national partners, runs statewide broadcast and social media campaigns and provides resources for counselors, educators and parents.
Helping Kentucky meet its 60x30 goal
In addition to working directly with participating students, families and schools in low-income communities to increase successful transition to and through postsecondary education, GEAR UP Kentucky partners with other relevant organizations such as KHEAA, Kentucky Campus Compact and the
Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence to help promote college-going statewide and increase access to college readiness and transition resources, information and support. For more information about GEAR UP Kentucky, visit gearupky.org.
Last Updated: 12/3/2025