Alabama State University receives $24M grant—why it matters

Alabama State University (ASU) has officially received its largest single grant award to the University—$24.7 million from the U.S. Department of Education. Check out what ASU will do with the grant and find out how it will impact students in the Montgomery Public School System.

Here’s how the grant will make an impact on Montgomery Public School students

The $24.7 million federal discretionary grant will allow ASU to lead the GEAR UP project to increase the number of low-income students in the Montgomery Public School System (MPS) who are ready to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. The grant “Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP)” will span a seven-year period.

By the grant’s seventh year (2028), GEAR UP will provide academic prep services to over 26,000 students within MPS.

“One of the goals of the University’s GEAR UP program is to foster flexible and affordable paths to obtaining knowledge and skills, building capacity for remote learning, and addressing the impact of COVID-19 on students’ mental health and their individual academic outcomes within MPS.”

Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr., President, Alabama State University via press release

Bringing together the community

The GEAR UP grant is another level of ASU’s “CommUniversity” because it involves the local community working with the University. The ASU program involves collaborations with over 12 community partners including:

• Auburn University
• Boys and Girls Club of the River Region
• Coastal Alabama Community College
• Southern Union State Community College
• Tuskegee University
• Wallace Community College-Selma
• YMCA of Greater Montgomery

Through the GEAR UP project, the staff at ASU will aim to increase their students’ academic performance, high school graduation rates and participation in postsecondary education.

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