New Mexico has seen an elevated graduation rate from 2014 to 2022, with about 76% of students getting their diplomas. But even as things have improved, the state still ranks among the lowest in the nation. The New Mexico Higher Education Department recently held the GEAR UP West conference and to help bring new ideas for increasing college and career readiness.
The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness in Undergraduate Programs, otherwise known as the GEAR UP New Mexico, is a federally funded grant program that the Higher Education Department has committed to implementing since 2005. About 7,000 students in New Mexico take advantage of it every year.
The state is in its third cycle and has partnered with seven school districts across the state like Bernalillo Public Schools and Taos Municipal Schools, to introduce students to college prep, build relationships with local business leaders, and assist educators to prepare students for their next steps.
GEAR UP New Mexico Director Corine Frankland said that preparation is a crucial part of the program because it offers opportunities like credit recovery, dual college credits, and college bus tours.
“So it provides an experiential opportunity for students to see and feel themselves as a college student,” said Frankland.
But through this program state education officials have learned that many families felt that college was unattainable.
Frankland said they’ve used resources to connect both rural and first-generation students and their families to financial aid counseling and information on The Opportunity Scholarship, which covers 100% of tuition and fees.
The GEAR UP program is in its third seven-year cycle, but within the last few years, the state has seen a 9% increase in freshman college enrollment.
The most recent GEAR UP West conference hosted in Albuquerque brought nearly 500 educators from across the country to share ideas about what’s working in their states. New Mexico officials are considering new incentives for rural students to remain in their communities while attending a 2- or 4-year college program and become leaders.
This coverage is made possible by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and KUNM listeners.
