November 23, 2004 :: 93

High School Students Are Among Those Benefiting From Nearly $1.1 Million Awarded to Cal State Fullerton by Dept. of Education

Approximately 450 seniors at Anaheim High School are now in their six and final year of GEAR UP, a Cal State Fullerton program they began in junior high.

GEAR UP, or Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program, is modeled, in part, after former President Bill Clinton’s High Hopes for College proposal that advocated partnerships between colleges and middle schools in low-income communities to help raise expectations and ensure successful college entry.

It is among several Cal State Fullerton programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education, which this fall has awarded nearly $1.1 million to the campus — all to benefit local high school and CSUF students participating in Upward Bound South, GEAR UP, Student Support Services and Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement. The programs strive to facilitate and encourage students to pursue undergraduate and doctoral degrees.

GEAR UP is following an entire class of students from Sycamore Junior High School through Anaheim High School, from which they are expected to graduate in 2005. The program is in partnership with the Anaheim Union High School District, city of Anaheim and Los Amigos.

Tutoring, writing and mathematics enrichment workshops will be continued, in addition to a focus on higher education with such programs as algebra II support classes, workshops on completing CSU and UC applications on line, Saturday review sessions, a college night, financial aid workshops and a parent and student college awareness session.

Upward Bound gives fundamental support to participants preparing to enter college, with a goal of increasing the rates at which students enroll in and graduate from postsecondary institutions.

The Student Support Services program provides CSUF students opportunities for academic development, assistance with basic college requirements and endeavors to motivate them to successfully complete their undergraduate degrees. The program’s goal is to increase retention and graduation rates through such services as mentoring, academic and financial counseling, assistance with securing financial support and tutoring.

Currently in its sixth year at CSUF is the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program. Its goal is to increase the number of graduate degrees earned by students from underrepresented groups. Through the grant, the university prepares students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities.