The relationship between academic and non-academic preparation and postsecondary education outcome by students in the state Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) project

The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant program was designed to support students from low-income backgrounds while planning for postsecondary education in middle and high school. This study attempted to understand which factors contributed to planning and preparation these students by grade 11, and how the GEAR UP program may have contributed to this planning. This study used logistic regression and cluster analysis to answer these questions: Can postsecondary outcome be reliably predicted from knowledge of students' academic and non-academic postsecondary planning and perception factors, what is the profile of a high school student in grade 11 in relationship to postsecondary outcome? The results revealed that certain academic and non-academic planning factors could be used to predict postsecondary outcome. In addition, results indicated that a large percentage of the GEAR UP cohort were academically prepared for postsecondary education and were eligible for the scholarship, but did not use the funding upon high school graduation.