The College Crusade of Rhode Island Receives $2.7 Million GEAR UP Grant to Support College Readiness

Providence, R.I., September 24, 2008 – The College Crusade of Rhode Island announced it has received a $2.7 million federal GEAR UP grant to support college-readiness programs and services, plus college scholarships, for Rhode Island youth this year.

GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a U.S. Department of Education initiative designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. The College Crusade, a nonprofit organization, implements GEAR UP programming in Rhode Island as part of the state’s overall education strategy to increase college-attendance rates. Approximately 3,800 middle school and high school students from Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket are enrolled in the program.

Members of The College Crusade graduate from high school and go right on to college at much higher rates than their peers in the same urban school districts. In addition, hundreds of graduates of Rhode Island high schools attend college each year with the help of a College Crusade scholarship. Recently the organization was named one of 35 U.S. “Programs That Work” by the Business-Higher Education Forum, based in Washington, D.C.

To secure this year’s $2.7 million GEAR UP grant, The College Crusade must match the amount with contributions from local sources. The organization has arranged a substantial match from scholarships donated to Rhode Island students by 56 public and private colleges in the United States. Generous in-kind contributions from numerous Rhode Island colleges and community agencies also provide a large portion of the match. However, a 50-percent reduction in matching funds from the State of Rhode Island presents a new challenge this year. To make up for the shortfall, The College Crusade will seek an additional $265,000 in private funds to ensure that GEAR UP funding will be available to provide college-readiness programs and services for Rhode Island’s most disadvantaged students.

“The College Crusade of Rhode Island is implementing one of the very best GEAR UP programs in the country,” said Hector Garza, Ed.D., president of the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP). “It is an exemplary organization dedicated to expanding college access and readiness for low-income students in the state and has achieved remarkable quantifiable results with respect to both high school graduation and college-going rates.” As president of NCCEP, Garza oversees an organization that works nationwide to strengthen educational partnerships. In particular, NCCEP is chief advocate for the $303 million federal GEAR UP initiative, which funds 214 programs across the country and serves nearly 640,000 disadvantaged youth. “The College Crusade of Rhode Island was a model for developing the GEAR UP program in 1997,” Garza added, “and it continues to operate as a model for the nation today.”

“I am pleased to have helped secure another round of GEAR UP funding for The College Crusade. I commend this organization and its dedicated staff for working hard to ensure that more young Rhode Islanders develop the skills they need to succeed in school and have the resources to afford the cost of college tuition,” said Senator Jack Reed, who is a member of the Appropriations subcommittee which oversees federal spending on education programs. Senator Reed has consistently fought to secure federal funding for GEAR UP grants. “The College Crusade of Rhode Island should be deeply proud of its reputation as one of the leading college-readiness programs in the country. The strength of Rhode Island’s economy depends on an educated and highly-skilled workforce. This federal funding is a wise investment in our children, our communities, and the state economy.”

“We thank Senator Jack Reed, along with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Patrick Kennedy and James Langevin, for their unwavering investment in education and for their assistance in bringing this major GEAR UP grant award to our state,” said Paul E. Moran, CPA, acting chair of the board of directors for The College Crusade. “We now request support from the Rhode Island private sector to help us sustain this important initiative. GEAR UP funding allows us to make a tremendous difference in the lives of low-income urban youth. It supports our unique college-readiness programs for an entire year, underwrites the daily services of our trained staff of College Crusade Advisors in 32 urban public schools, and pays for hundreds of college scholarships for financially eligible high school graduates. Contributing matching funds to our GEAR UP grant is a very cost-effective way to help set these motivated and deserving students on the path to college and career success.”

About The College Crusade of Rhode Island
The College Crusade of Rhode Island is the state’s most comprehensive college-readiness and scholarship program for middle school and high school students in low-income urban school districts. It serves approximately 3,800 students per year and rewards the efforts and achievements of financially eligible students with up to four years of college scholarships. From grade 6 through grade 12, Crusaders experience the steady, nurturing presence of caring adults and participate in activities that focus on academic enrichment, social and personal development, career awareness and exploration, and readiness for college. Students who are members of The College Crusade graduate and go right on to college at much higher rates than their peers in the state’s urban school districts. Since 2001, The College Crusade has awarded over $18 million in college scholarships to more than 2,500 graduates from Rhode Island high schools. For more information, please visit www.thecollegecrusade.org.

The College Crusade is a nonprofit organization funded by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s GEAR UP program, by the State of Rhode Island, and by private corporations, foundations, and individuals.