WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to help public school students across the state capitalize on educational opportunities and become college and career ready, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today joined Governor Dan McKee in announcing that Rhode Island will receive a new federal grant providing a projected $33.6 million over the next seven years.

The federal funds will flow to the Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner (OPC) through the U.S. Department of Education’s Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant program.  The grant will provide $4.8 million per year for seven years, subject to future federal appropriations, to support promising economically disadvantaged students.

This federal grant will help serve 4,000 students annually in Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Woonsocket, Cranston, and Newport by connecting students to wrap-around services and comprehensive supports beginning in grade six and continuing through the first year of college. Rhode Island’s GEAR UP program is administered by the Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner in partnership with Onward We Learn (formerly known as the College Crusade of Rhode Island).

“Rhode Island’s GEAR UP program is a critical, multi-faceted program that stays with our students as they grow and helps them prepare to succeed in the classroom and beyond.  This is a smart investment in uplifting promising young people and helping them achieve their full potential,” said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations subcommittee which oversees federal spending on education programs and who led efforts to secure $388 million for GEAR UP in the fiscal year 2023 appropriations law. “Onward We Learn is an outstanding organization that helps young people from diverse backgrounds prepare for college and careers. This federal funding will help Onward We Learn, in partnership with Rhode Island OPC, expand their efforts and services to reach more deserving students.”

“Every child, regardless of the zip code where they were born, deserves a quality education and the opportunity to succeed in a career of their choice,” said Senator Whitehouse.  “This federal funding for Rhode Island’s GEAR UP program will provide the resources and long-term support to keep students on the road to higher education and achieving their dreams.”

“Every student deserves the opportunity to chase their dreams, secure a good-paying job and achieve a higher education — even if their parents don’t make a lot of money,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner. “I am proud to announce this federal funding with my colleagues in the congressional delegation to support RI’s GEAR UP program and Onward We Learn, expand the idea of what is possible for Rhode Island’s students and set the next generation up for success.”

“Our students deserve all the support we can provide for their future,” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “This federal funding for GEAR UP RI will help students across Rhode Island access the tools they need to meet their educational goals and get set up for success. I thank Onward We Learn and the Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner for their work to help every student realize their dreams.”

“Two of our Administration’s top priorities are improving educational outcomes for students and increasing incomes for all Rhode Islanders. This federal funding is crucial to helping us continue the momentum toward reaching both goals,” said Governor Dan McKee.  “GEAR UP not only helps students get to college, but also gives them the tools to secure a good-paying job, a fulfilling career, and a better future for their family. I'm thankful to our Congressional Delegation for their unwavering support of Rhode Island students. We’re ready to help put these dollars to work.”

Said Shannon Gilkey, Ed.D., R.I. Commissioner of Postsecondary Education, “Thank you to Senators Reed and Whitehouse, and Congressmen Magaziner and Amo for putting a college degree within the grasp of thousands of Rhode Islanders. Research has tied college degree attainment with higher lifetime wages, which brings economic advantages not only to college graduates but also to their families and communities. The children of college graduates are more likely to attend college so the impact travels onward to future generations. We’re incredibly impressed by Onward We Learn’s exemplary track record in increasing college attendance among economically disadvantaged Rhode Islanders living in the urban core, and this GEAR UP grant will enable them to reach even more students.”

“Onward We Learn is delighted to expand our partnership with OPC to continue our collective efforts to improve the landscape of education in Rhode Island. With the renewal of our GEAR UP grant, we can eagerly expand our service areas to include more students and their families,” said Andrew Bramson, President and CEO of Onward We Learn.  “We are particularly excited that this new infusion of these resources will allow us to sustain our highly successful scholarship program. High-quality college access programming and scholarships are a proven recipe for helping young people become the first in their families to attend and complete college.”

For the last twenty-five years, Onward We Learn has partnered with Rhode Island OPC to develop and implement RI GEAR UP programs and services as part of the state’s overall education strategy to increase high school graduation rates and strengthen pathways to higher education for Rhode Island students.

As a result of this grant funding, Onward We Learn will deploy teams of advisors to dozens of middle and high schools as well as Rhode Island’s three public colleges and universities to offer personalized educational support for students and to motivate them to take rigorous courses, graduate from high school on time, and make a successful transition to college and career.  Onward We Learn will also provide a continuum of extended learning opportunities for these students across four domains – academic support, social and emotional development, postsecondary preparation, and career exploration.

According to Onward We Learn’s most recent infographic, students in the RI GEAR UP program are 40% more likely than their closely matched peers to graduate from high school on time and immediately enroll in postsecondary education.