Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Scholarship
The Pennsylvania State Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) scholarship is a federally funded program that supports college readiness through early intervention activities in middle and high schools, and offers a scholarship for postsecondary education. PHEAA administers the GEAR UP scholarship on behalf of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).
Eligibility requirements
To receive a GEAR UP scholarship, a student must:
- Have graduated in 2008 through 2013 from one of the following high schools in the Philadelphia or Harrisburg school districts:
- Young Women's Leadership School at E.W. Rhodes High School
- John Bartram Main High School
- Martin Luther King High School
- Strawberry Mansion High School
- Harrisburg High School (including SciTech High School, William Penn High School, ACTS and CTA)
- Be deemed scholarship eligible through participation in college readiness activities
- Be enrolled at least half-time in a degree program at a postsecondary school in Pennsylvania that is approved for federal student aid
- Be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant each year
- Be a resident of Pennsylvania
- Be less than 22 years old at the time of first scholarship award
- Complete a GEAR UP Application
- Meet all federal student aid requirements
The annual maximum GEAR UP scholarship is equal to the maximum Federal Pell Grant for the same academic year. The GEAR UP scholarship may be reduced based on enrollment status, Expected Family Contribution (EFC), fund availability, or unmet cost as determined by the school's financial aid office. Awards are contingent upon federal funding and are not guaranteed.
To apply
- Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), or submit your renewal FAFSA, at fafsa.ed.gov.
- Next, download and print the GEAR UP Application (PDF).
- Mail your completed application to:
PHEAA
State Grant and Special Programs
PO Box 8157
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8157
Contact
For more information about the GEAR UP scholarship, call 1-800-692-7392 or email gearup@pheaa.org.