Promoting Educational Success: Which Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR-UP) Services Lead to Postsecondary Enrollment and Persistence?

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 17
  In Roundtable Session: Understanding the Effects of High School Programs and Policies on Student Academic and Socio-Emotional Outcomes

Abstract

The federal GEAR UP initiative appears to be effective at promoting college enrollment and persistence. GEAR UP provides broad discretion for participating states and partnerships to offer various types and combinations of services, so strong evidence is needed to identify which of these services are most effective. The present study examines this issue using doubly-robust propensity score analyses of detailed student-level data from GEAR UP Iowa. Various general and specific services are identified as positive and significant predictors of college enrollment, whereas only college visits are significantly associated with greater college persistence. These findings have important implications not only for GEAR UP, but also for other precollege efforts to promote college access and success.

Authors

• Sanga Kim, University of Iowa

• Nicholas A. Bowman, University of Iowa

• Laura Ingleby, Iowa College Student Aid Commission

• David Ford

• Christina Sibouih