November 19, 2021 - Winston-Salem/Forsyth County students in grades 6 through 12 will get assistance from a grant awarded to Winston-Salem State University.  The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant from the U.S. Department of Education is a college access initiative aimed at students in economically disadvantaged households who are prepared to enter post-secondary education. Guilford County and Rutherford County Schools were also chosen as recipients.

In partnership with Forsyth Technical Community College, Isothermal Community College, NC State Employees Credit Union, Mountain Alliance, Student Success Agency, Tutor.com, Vela Institute, Virtual Job Shadow, and Dream Builders, WSSU-GEAR UP will serve 16,000 students across the three districts.

The seven-year college access initiative will provide tutoring, academic counseling, dual-enrollment opportunities, workshops, mentoring, career exploration, job shadowing, college visits, summer enrichment programming, counseling, non-cognitive skill development, financial literacy instruction, professional development, and First Year Experience Courses to the 7th-year cohort as they matriculate to post-secondary.

“I am so excited about the announcement of the GEAR UP grant award and look forward to our partnership with WSSU and Forsyth Tech as we develop a college-ready program aimed at guiding students in select middle schools through their on-time graduation, said WS/FCS Chief Academic Officer Nicolette Grant.  “Along with our partner universities, we will combine tutoring, academic counseling, mentoring, career exploration, college visits, summer enrichment, and financial literacy instruction for cohorts of these students over a seven-year period of time.”

The $28.2 million grant is the largest grant in the history of Winston-Salem State University.