Sen. Cornyn Will Announce New Legislation to Modernize GEAR UP Federal Grant Program
Texas Border Business
HARLINGEN — U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) will visit the Harlingen School of Health Professions tomorrow to meet with students and hold a roundtable discussion with local superintendents and community leaders centered on federal grants for college and career readiness.
The GEAR UP Program is a competitive grant program that helps low-income and historically underrepresented students achieve college and career readiness, improve high school graduation rates and postsecondary enrollment rates, and raise awareness of postsecondary options among student and families. Texas students have benefitted from $885 million in GEAR UP grants in the past 20 years. Sen. Cornyn will announce his plans to introduce legislation to improve the GEAR UP program by giving grant recipients increased flexibility to cater to local students’ needs, reduce administrative burdens for grant recipients, and ensure a more fair and competitive application process.
Prior to the roundtable, Sen. Cornyn will meet with students attending the Harlingen School of Health Professions to discuss their post-graduation plans and local college graduates who benefitted from the GEAR UP Program to hear about their experience.
