New Hampshire Congressional Delegation Calls on Department of Education to Restore Funding for Program that Helps Students Thrive After High School

(Washington, DC) - U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), alongside U.S. Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), are sending a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon calling for the restoration of Congressionally approved funding for New Hampshire's Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). GEAR UP grants help states and local education agencies assist low-income students in obtaining a secondary school diploma and to prepare for and succeed in postsecondary education.

The Congressional delegation wrote, in part: "Through Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grants, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) provides crucial support for students of low-income backgrounds across the country to succeed in and beyond high school. By providing early, comprehensive support for students beginning in 7th grade, GEAR UP programming has demonstrably improved academic outcomes and college enrollment."

They continued: "In New Hampshire, the Education Alliance for New Hampshire manages the statewide GEAR UP program, which serves approximately 4,000 students across 11 school districts in New Hampshire. The statewide GEAR UP program provides these students with targeted tutoring, guidance for exploring post-graduation pathways, leadership and professional development and financial assistance to attend college."

They concluded: "On September 12, ED notified the Education Alliance for New Hampshire that the statewide GEAR UP grant would be terminated by September 30. This termination, which would eliminate $4,798,710 of funding for student resources and support each year, would be devastating for students and educators, as GEAR UP programming would no longer be possible. This termination, over the next four years of the program, would result in a loss of more than $16 million to the Granite State. Without this support, many of the students participating in this program would face significant barriers to finding success after high school. Encouraging our students' success is critical to growing our workforce and securing American leadership in innovation. Accordingly, we urge you to reverse the termination of the GEAR UP grant for the Education Alliance for New Hampshire's statewide program."

The letter can be read in full HERE.

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