The Tennessee Higher Education commission announced Wednesday that Bradley County Schools is the recipient of a $846,300 grant over the next seven years to provide services to students and families with the aim of increasing enrollment and success in postsecondary education. 

The funding is through Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), a U.S. Department of Education grant program to increase the number of low­-income students enrolling and succeeding in postsecondary education. 

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission secured the state grant for GEAR UP TN and selected sites through a competitive application process. Bradley County Schools is one of 16 counties receiving funds. 

"The GEAR UP TN Grant will provide much needed support and resources for our students as we strive to prepare them to be college and career ready," said Johnny McDaniel, Director of Bradley County Schools. "It will also help us foster the hopes and dreams of our students and their families beyond high school. We believe all students deserve access to post secondary education. We are excited about the opportunities the GEAR UP TN grant will provide for our students."

Patti Hunt, Grant coordinator, said, "The GEAR UP TN Grant is a perfect fit with the postsecondary goals and objectives we are implementing in Bradley County Schools. Growing a "postsecondary culture” in our community will provide open doors and opportunities to all our students and make them a marketable workforce to business and industry coming into our community and surrounding area." 

The Bradley County School District will form a local, community-based GEAR UP TN Collaborative to provide college access and success-focused services to students at Lake Forest Middle School, GOAL Academy, and Bradley Central High School. Students in the Class of 2018, who are currently in the seventh grade, will receive services as a cohort through middle school, high school, and their first year of postsecondary education. Seniors at participating GEAR UP TN high schools will also receive direct services to prepare for college and apply to postsecondary programs. Services include one-on-one mentoring, tutoring, college visits, and finanacial aid counseling. The grant also provides for each county to hire a local site coordinator to work directly with students and oversee local implementation. 

Statewide services, provided to all Tennessee students, will include a public outreach campaign and a college access and success website, CollegeforTN.org.