GEAR UP Scholarship

*The following is a brief description for students. Institutions should refer to the most recent guidelines for information.

GEAR UP is a national effort to encourage more young people to have high expectations, stay in school, study hard and go to college. Through the Board of Higher Education, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts received a GEAR UP State Grant to provide early college awareness activities, improved academic support, information on paying for college and the GEAR UP Scholarship for students who participated in a component of the GEAR UP Massachusetts Early Intervention initiative.

Who Is Eligible?

An undergraduate student who has been admitted to an eligible institution and meets the following requirements:

• Be a permanent legal resident of Massachusetts for at least one year prior to the start of the academic year.
• Be a U.S. Citizen or non-citizen eligible under Title IV regulations.
• Have applied for financial aid, using the standard Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Not be in default of any federal or state Student Loans for attendance at any institution or owe a refund for any previous financial aid received.
• Be enrolled full- or part-time in a certificate, associate’s or bachelor’s degree program at an eligible institution.
• Be maintaining satisfactory academic progress in accordance with institutional and federal standards.
• Be less than 22 years of age at time of first scholarship award.
• Participated in the Early Intervention component of GEAR UP Massachusetts.
• Graduated from a Massachusetts public high school beginning in 2005.
• Has not reached the maximum number of semesters of eligibility under the program.

Eligible Institutions

An eligible institution is defined as a state-approved public, private, independent, for profit or non-profit institution in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts authorized to offer undergraduate degrees, certificates or diploma programs and that is also approved by the U.S. Department of Education to administer Title IV programs. Massachusetts state-approved public, private, independent and non-profit institutions located in states (VT, PA and the District of Columbia) that have reciprocity agreements with the Commonwealth and award associate’s and bachelor’s degrees are also eligible to participate.

Award Amounts

The maximum amount of the GEAR UP scholarship for each academic year should be no less than minimum Pell.

• GEAR UP scholarships may consist of awards from one or more state financial aid programs
• GEAR UP scholarships shall not be considered for the purpose of awarding other federal grant assistance, except in no case shall the total amount of the student financial assistance awarded to a student exceed such student’s total cost of attendance
• GEAR UP scholarships may be awarded to eligible students for a maximum of one year or two semesters

How to Apply

Students who participated in the GEAR UP Massachusetts program while in high school and complete a current academic year Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as Massachusetts residents automatically receive consideration for a GEAR UP scholarship. The DHE’s Office of Student Financial Assistance requires the post-secondary institution that the student attends to report financial aid information to the program that allows for determination of the student’s eligibility for a GEAR UP scholarship.

For more information, visit the GEAR UP Website or contact the DHE’s Office of Student Financial Assistance at (617) 391-6070.

GEAR UP Scholarship Program Guidelines