Federal funding cuts threaten one of KY’s most successful education programs | Opinion

As president of Kentucky’s higher education coordinating board, there’s nothing I enjoy more than seeing young adults beat the odds and realize their dreams.

Take William Massey, for example. A 2024 graduate of Bourbon County High School, William learned about the advanced manufacturing technology program at Bluegrass Community and Technical College during a college visit in high school. Now, he’s enrolled in the five-semester program where he’ll get hands-on work experience at Toyota while attending classes to earn his associate degree.

Or consider Delaney Bradford, a student at Augusta Independent High who wasn’t sure she had the resources or ability to continue her education after high school. Delaney recently completed an associate degree at Maysville Community and Technical College and transferred to Morehead State University, where she’s studying veterinary science.

William and Delaney are just two of the 66,000+ Kentucky students who have been helped by GEAR UP Kentucky (GUK) over the past 25 years. Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a federally funded grant program that increases the number of students from low-income communities who successfully transition to and through postsecondary education. My organization, the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, administers the state grant, while three partnership grants currently serve schools throughout eastern and western Kentucky. All told, GEAR UP programs are now supporting the future dreams of more than 53,000 Kentucky students in 128 low-income schools across the state.

Unlike many federal programs, GEAR UP serves the entire student body in selected schools where a majority live in low-income households. Beginning in seventh grade, students engage in hands-on career exploration activities, college and career advising, college visits, financial aid workshops and other personalized support services. Over the years, these research-based, community-driven interventions have forged a college-going culture in underperforming schools, enabling them to outperform state averages on several key metrics:

▪ GUK high schools have equaled or exceeded statewide graduation rates since 2012;

▪ GUK seniors have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at higher rates than the state or nation since 2019;

▪ GUK graduating classes have bested the statewide college-going rate for low-income students by at least seven percentage points since 2011. In fact, the number of GEAR UP seniors applying to college has risen 44 percentage points since 2020; and

▪ GUK students have higher college persistence rates and grades than their non-GUK peers.

To recognize these remarkable achievements, Gov. Andy Beshear proclaimed May 1 as #GEARUPworks Day across the Commonwealth.

However, recent discussions about cutting or eliminating federal education funding has put this life-changing program at risk. Without federal GEAR UP funds, schools in Kentucky’s low-income communities will be challenged to maintain the momentum our partnerships have built. Over the last quarter century, GUK has received $83 million in federal funds, matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis by CPE and its partners, for a total of $166 million for this 25-year effort.

Make no mistake – while GEAR UP funding is federal, the staff are hired from the local community and the program is driven by local needs and partnerships. Our programs have strengthened schools and local economies, providing jobs to educators and advisors determined to make a difference in the lives of the students and families in their own communities. In fact, we’ve had several former students so impacted by their experiences in GEAR UP that they returned to work on our staff to help those that follow in their footsteps.

Our goal at CPE is to ensure students in low-income schools who have the desire and drive to succeed have the same opportunities and support as their higher-income peers. GEAR UP Kentucky has helped make this goal a reality for 25 years. Let’s ensure #GEARUPworks Day is the first of many to come.

Aaron Thompson is president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.

This story was originally published May 8, 2025 at 11:17 AM.