Paris, Tenn.– Tennessee Higher Education Commission has announced that the Henry County School System is the recipient of a $862,463 GEAR UP grant over the next six years. The grant funds will provide services to students and families with the aim of increasing enrollment and success in postsecondary education.
The funding is part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant, which aims to increase the number of low-income students in Tennessee who are accessing and succeeding in higher education.
Henry County is one of 15 communities selected statewide to receive funds. The communities were selected through a competitive application process by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, the administrator of the GEAR UP TN grant.
The grant received locally is unique in that both the Henry County School System and Paris Special School District applied together in a joint effort.
“Receiving the grant is a noteworthy achievement, and I am grateful for the leadership of Dr. Michele Webb as she led the grant development work. The collaboration of our middle schools (HCSS and PSSD), with E.W. Grove School and HCHS will strengthen our efforts to ensure college readiness and access and will help us reach one of our goals—that each senior has a post-secondary plan (military, technical education or 2-4 year university study). Our entire community benefits significantly when we work together to build and maintain a strong system of public schools.” said Dr. Brian Norton, Henry County Director of Schools.
As part of the project, a community-based GEAR UP TN Collaborative will be formed to provide college access and success-focused services to students at Harrelson, Henry, Inman, Grove, and Henry County High Schools. Students in the Class of 2023, who are currently in seventh grade, will receive services as a cohort through their respective middle schools, E.W. Grove School, Henry County High School, and their first year of postsecondary education.
Additionally, seniors at Henry County High School will receive direct services that will help them prepare for college and apply to postsecondary programs. Services will include one-on-one mentoring, tutoring, college visits, and financial aid counseling. GEAR UP TN will also provide students across the state of Tennessee with college and financial aid resources, including a college access and success website, CollegeforTN.org.
“Beginning next year with the Class of 2023 as eighth graders, the GEAR UP TN grant will allow us to expand the opportunities available to students, including a college access counselor. We are especially proud to receive this grant for work that will happen in both school systems in our community and are appreciative of this partnership. We know working together allows us to have a long-lasting impact on our students, and we are committed to that work.” said Michele Webb, principal of Henry County High School.
Henry County’s GEAR UP TN Collaborative will partner with Jackson State Community College and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Paris.
This is Tennessee’s third GEAR UP grant. Tennessee’s first GEAR UP TN project, which began in 2005, resulted in a 22.8 percent increase in college-going rates in the nine rural school districts. Communities served by Tennessee’s second GEAR UP TN grant, which began in 2012, have shown impressive results, including over nine percentage points of growth in college-going rates since 2012. Tennessee was one of 10 states awarded a GEAR UP grant as part of the 2017 competition.
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