Since 2000, Arizona GEAR UP has served 61,000 students in partnership with 121 schools in 41 communities in the Valley and across the state, including those participating in the current grant:
Arizona City (1), Arlington (1), Avondale (2), Buckeye (11), Bullhead City (3), Casa Grande (5), Coolidge (4), Cottonwood (3), Douglas (3), El Mirage (1), Eloy (1), Flagstaff (3), Holbrook (2), Kingman (4), Laveen (1), Mesa (7), Mohave Valley (2), Peoria (1), Phoenix (14), Queen Creek (1), Scottsdale (3), Tolleson (1), Tonopah (2), Tucson (10), Winslow (2), Yuma (6).
Past participants: Cornville (1), Dewey-Humboldt (1), Ganado (1), Globe (2), Kayenta (1), Miami (2), Nogales (2), Page (1), Palo Verde (1), Patagonia (2), Pinon (2), Prescott Valley (3), San Luis (1), San Tan Valley (1), Whiteriver (1).
By Teena Olszewski and Daniel L. Kain
When it comes to expanding opportunity for students, the path from potential to progress doesn’t happen by chance. It takes sustained commitment, coordinated efforts and wise public investment. For 25 years, Arizona GEAR UP — Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs — has done just that, helping students from low-income backgrounds complete high school and succeed in further education and training.
That’s why we are deeply concerned about the recent federal budget proposal that calls for eliminating GEAR UP and TRIO — two of the nation’s most effective college access and success programs.
The claim that these programs are relics of the past and that “access is no longer the obstacle it once was” doesn’t reflect what we see in Arizona’s communities. Barriers have not magically disappeared, and the need for programs like GEAR UP is as urgent as ever, particularly for students whose access to opportunities remains limited.
GEAR UP isn’t a relic. It’s a powerful investment in Arizona’s future.
Our state continues to face an attainment crisis. The number of students passing eighth-grade math, graduating from high school and enrolling in postsecondary education or training remains below the goals set by Arizona Achieve60AZ Progress Meter — Arizona’s nonpartisan framework for increasing educational attainment and strengthening the economy. Meanwhile, the future of Arizona’s workforce depends on our ability to close these gaps. By 2031, more than two-thirds of all jobs in the state will require education or training beyond high school.
GEAR UP has been a key part of Arizona’s response. Since 2000, the program has served more than 61,000 students who face economic and educational barriers from 121 schools in 41 communities, providing long-term, personalized support from seventh grade through the first year after high school. It combines direct student services with systemic backing, delivered through partnerships among school districts, community colleges, universities, nonprofits and civic leaders.
Northern Arizona University has led this work through four consecutive state GEAR UP grants, securing $91 million in federal funds and raising local in-kind contributions, bringing total program resources to more than $182 million.
And the results are clear: GEAR UP works. Graduation and postsecondary enrollment rates for GEAR UP students have consistently exceeded state averages. In one cycle, 9 out of 10 students from high-poverty schools graduated on time or early, and 8 in 10 applied to at least one institution to continue their education. Financial aid applications rose by more than 20 percentage points. Nearly all parents participated in activities that supported their student’s academic journey.
These outcomes happened because people worked together. Schools, higher education institutions, families and communities partnered to remove barriers and expand opportunities for students who have historically been left out.
Today, Arizona GEAR UP continues to meet students’ evolving needs while strengthening the systems that serve them. With its partners, the program provides academic advising, career and college exploration, scholarship support, tutoring, rigorous coursework, summer enrichment and mentoring. Students explore a range of education and career options, including workforce certificate programs and technical training. The program also invests in school leaders, counselors and educators through professional development, ensuring that the knowledge built through GEAR UP continues long after a cohort graduates.
In short, GEAR UP is a proven, student-centered program that delivers results, helping students graduate from high school and succeed in postsecondary opportunities where support is needed most.
And this is one program that has enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress.
Arizona’s business community has long recognized that this kind of investment is essential to workforce development. Programs like GEAR UP help students chart a path to meaningful careers and contribute to a stronger state economy.
For 25 years, GEAR UP has shown what’s possible when we commit to early intervention, strong partnerships and accountability. Arizona has been a national leader in this work, and that legacy should be protected, not abandoned.
Now is the time for Arizona’s education, civic and business leaders to reaffirm their support for what works. GEAR UP has earned its place as a national model and a wise investment in our shared future.
Let’s not walk away from it now.
Editor’s note: Teena Olszewski is senior vice president of Education Forward Arizona and served as executive director of Arizona GEAR UP from 2002 to 2020. Daniel L. Kain is former dean of the College of Education and former provost at Northern Arizona University. He served as principal investigator for Arizona GEAR UP from 2004 until his retirement in 2021. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
