Improving College Access at Low-Income High Schools? The Impact of the GEAR UP Program on Postsecondary Enrollment and Persistence

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Abstract

Surprisingly little research has examined the effects of the federal GEAR UP initiative on college outcomes. In this study, multilevel difference-in-differences analyses indicate that GEAR UP promotes college enrollment (cutting the gap between lower-income and higher-income high schools by about half), whereas it has no impact on college persistence.

Authors

• Nick Bowman, University of Iowa

• Sanga Kim, University of Iowa

• Laura Ingleby, Iowa College Student Aid Commission

• David Ford, Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency

• Christina Sibouih, Iowa College Aid