Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Higher Education Programs (HEP): Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (State Grants) Assistance Listing Number 84.334S | ED GRANTS 042921 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 042921 002

The Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) State Grants opportunity (Assistance Listing Number 84.334S) is a U.S. Department of Education discretionary grant program designed to help states build long-term, structured supports for low-income students so they can finish high school and successfully enter and complete postsecondary education. The core idea is early, sustained intervention: states use grant funds to provide a coordinated set of services that increase college awareness, strengthen academic preparation, and reduce barriers that often keep students from enrolling in or completing college. The program explicitly includes support for low-income students with disabilities and focuses on keeping students on track to earn a secondary school diploma (or a recognized equivalent) and be ready for college-level work.

This particular posting is for the State Grants track (as opposed to the separate “eligible partnership” GEAR UP grants). Eligible applicants are state governments, with the listing also indicating “others” may be eligible depending on the specific clarifications contained in the official Federal Register notice. As a discretionary program, funding is competitive rather than formula-based, and applicants are expected to follow Department of Education discretionary grant application requirements, including the Department’s “Common Instructions” referenced in the notice. The synopsis repeatedly stresses that the Federal Register application notice is the controlling document for details such as eligibility nuances, application content, required assurances, performance measures, competitive priorities, and submission procedures.

Key administrative details in the opportunity include the funding opportunity number ED GRANTS 042921 002 and a creation/posting date of April 29, 2021. Applications were made available on April 29, 2021, with a deadline to submit (deadline for transmittal of applications) of June 28, 2021. The deadline for intergovernmental review is listed as August 27, 2021. The opportunity anticipates making around 11 awards, and the listed award ceiling is $5,000,000, indicating that a single state grant could be funded up to that maximum level (with actual award size dependent on the Department’s final determinations and the applicant’s proposed scope and budget as allowed under program rules).

From a programmatic standpoint, the grant supports state-level efforts that encourage sustained commitment to cohorts of students and the systems around them. While the synopsis does not enumerate specific required activities, GEAR UP state grants generally revolve around increasing student and family knowledge about college options and financial aid, improving academic readiness and persistence, supporting transitions from middle school to high school and from high school to postsecondary education, and strengthening the capacity of schools and state systems to guide students toward postsecondary success. The emphasis on “early awareness” and “readiness” signals that the funded work is expected to start well before the end of high school and continue through key decision points where students often fall off the pathway to college.

For official guidance and binding requirements, the notice directs applicants to consult the Federal Register publication for the full application package rules and to use the Department of Education’s standard discretionary grant instructions for where and how to obtain and submit applications. The notice also provides a program contact for questions: Ben Witthoefft at the U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, room 2C215, Washington, DC 20202-6450, phone (202) 453-7576, email Ben.Witthoefft@ed.gov.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Higher Education Programs (HEP): Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (State Grants) Assistance Listing Number 84.334S" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.334.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 29, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 28, 2021 Applications Available April 29, 2021. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications June 28, 2021. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review August 27, 2021. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Ben Witthoefft, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 2C215, Washington, DC 20202-6450. Telephone (202) 453-7576. Email Ben.Witthoefft@ed.gov.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 11 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for ED GRANTS 042921 002

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