West Virginia GEAR UP Awards More than $600,000 to Students for First Year of College

June 2010

West Virginia GEAR UP has awarded more than $600,000 in 2010 to help 515 students pay for their first year of education or training beyond high school.

The West Virginia GEAR UP Incentive Award is a one-time award designed to provide GEAR UP students with an extra boost in securing funding to go to college. Students must meet some criteria, but the Incentive Award is geared toward helping students who need money for college, and is not dependent on test scores or other measures of academic merit.

“We call it an incentive award, because that’s exactly what it is—an extra incentive for students to go to college in West Virginia,” Dr. Adam Green, Director of WV GEAR UP, said. “We want our young people to know that we support them in pursuing their education, and that we’re willing to put hard cash behind them to invest in their futures.”

West Virginia GEAR UP is a federally funded grant program. Funds for the Incentive Award were written into the initial grant proposal, and are provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
Eligible students will receive at least $500 to help pay for their first year of college or training. Students who demonstrated a significant financial need were awarded additional funds - up to $1,500 - to help pay for their first and second semesters of postsecondary education.

To receive the award, students must graduate from a West Virginia GEAR UP high school and attend a Higher Education Grant eligible institution in West Virginia in the fall of 2010. Students must also have completed an application and submitted a completed FAFSA form before May 3, 2010.

The Incentive Award can only be used to help pay for the first year of college, and it cannot be deferred.

Back to News Page

Additional Information and Resources

About the West Virginia GEAR UP Incentive Award