MANSFIELD — The number of students applying for college and federal financial aid is on the rise since Mansfield Senior High Schiool launched its GEAR UP program.
But federal funds to keep the program going will run out in a few more years.
Mansfield City Schools’ Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) initiative is focused on helping low-income and first-generation college students prepare for college and receive the support needed to achieve success in postsecondary education.
“We help students get into get the post-secondary options who wouldn’t otherwise have that opportunity,” said GEAR UP site director Effie James. “That is why we’re here.”
James said the program encourages all students to have a plan beyond high school. Nevertheless, one of their primary roles is to advocate for college-bound students.
“A lot of people say, ‘Everybody doesn’t go to college,'” James said. “We know that and that’s great, but everybody needs an advocate. We are the post secondary advocate.
“We want to encourage our students and let them know that post-secondary education still has a place and is still very vital in this society.”
GEAR UP programs are funded through seven-year grants from the U.S. Department of Education. After that, it’s up to school districts to figure out if and how they’ll continue offering those student supports.
“We don’t have a lot of time,” said Carlos Bing, senior director of College Access Programs and GEAR UP Ohio at the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
“We have four years left, but that’s going to go quickly,” Bing added. “The hope is that we will have enough community members and support that we can continue this work.”
Mansfield’s program is staffed by James and two advisors, Malon Samuel and Eli Jordan, who spoke about the importance of the GEAR UP program during an annual stakeholder meeting Thursday at the Mid Ohio Conference Center.
Program staff arrange college visits, offer one-on-one career counseling
Mansfield’s GEAR UP program provides a variety of services for middle- and high-school students, including FAFSA filing nights, test prep workshops, summer camps and college visits.
“That’s what the kids get excited about,” James said. “We generally take about 10 to 12 college trips a year. We have been to just about every major college campus in Ohio in the last three years.”
Nevertheless, James described one-on-one counseling as the heartbeat of the program.
“We meet with (the students). We develop their post-secondary plan starting as a seventh grade,” James said. “As seniors, even if they’ve got their plan, we help them to facilitate that plan and get them to their next level.”
James said GEAR UP’s first four years have produced promising results.
Six ACT bootcamp participants earned exam scores of 30 or higher.
Mansfield Senior High’s FAFSA completion rate doubled in the program’s first year. In 2023, GEAR UP Mansfield was given a national award from American College Application Program in 2023 for highest FAFSA completion improvement.
During the program’s first year, 27 percent of Mansfield seniors applied to college, James said.
Now, GEAR UP has every high school senior apply to North Central State College and the Ohio State University-Mansfield. On top of that, 47 percent of students in the class of 2024 applied at an additional post-secondary institution — including certificate programs, trade schools and traditional universities.
“We have created a culture where kids are really thinking about their plan,” James said.
“Whether it be post secondary education, going into the workforce, whatever it is, we have less and less students graduating from high school not knowing what they’re going to do.”
Passion and funding keep GEAR UP programs going
Michele Scott-Taylor is the CEO of College Now Greater Cleveland, which has partnered with Mansfield City Schools and other GEAR UP districts throughout the state.
Scott-Taylor praised Mansfield’s program and the dedication of the local GEAR UP team.
“It really takes people who are passionate about helping young people figure out their next steps,” Scott-Taylor said. “And so we always try to hire people who this is like their life’s work.”
Scott-Taylor said communities that succeed in continuing the work of GEAR UP programs after federal funds run out see the value in the services provided.
“It’s really the recognition that all kids need a good plan after high school,” she said.
Like James, Scott-Taylor said not all students need a four year college degree — but high school is rarely enough for long-term financial success.
“When a community recognizes that a (high school) diploma is not enough, that’s when people come together to figure out, ‘How do we get students into certificates or to a two-year community college?'” she said.
Nikia Fletcher, director of college and career readiness at Mansfield City Schools, said there are ongoing conversations about how to keep GEAR UP’s momentum going.
“We’re trying to get a plan together,” Fletcher said. “Even if we have to do what (Marion City Schools) did by keeping one person, we’ve got to keep this going, because it’s the only thing that’s going to keep our college readiness-type services alive.”
High school students also voiced support for the program.
“They helped me find out about different colleges. At first I was only looking out of state instead of in state,” said Rakyah Carter, a junior eyeing a career in healthcare.
“There’s a lot of kids that didn’t know what they wanted to do, and this program helped them.”