Campus News

Educational Partnership Center awarded $18.33 million in federal GEAR UP grants

UC Santa Cruz received two of the five GEAR UP Partnership grants in California, expanding educational access and opportunities for Central Coast students and families.

October 6, 2025

By Stephanie Silva

UC Santa Cruz’s Educational Partnership Center (EPC) has been awarded two U.S. Department of Education GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) Partnership Grants totaling $18.33 million over seven years. The competitive awards will expand educational opportunities across Pajaro Valley and North and South Monterey County, connecting thousands of students with mentoring, academic support and enrichment, and college and career readiness services from middle school through their first year of college.

UC Santa Cruz stood out in the 2025 national GEAR UP competition, receiving two of only five Partnership awards granted in California. Nationwide, just 20 percent of applications were funded.

“These two awards showcase the strength of the EPC’s GEAR UP program and the deep ties it has built with K–12 schools, families, and community partners over the past decades,” said UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia Larive. “The impact on students and families has been incredible, and these new grants highlight UC Santa Cruz’s leadership in expanding access to higher education and career opportunities across the Central Coast.”

Through the new GEAR UP grants, UC Santa Cruz’s EPC will continue its 25-year history of collaboration with school districts, postsecondary institutions, community organizations, and families, expanding opportunities in Central Coast communities:

• Paving a Path for a College-Going Generation will connect more than 1,500 students in South Monterey County in partnership with Gonzales Unified, Greenfield Union, King City Union, Soledad Unified, and South Monterey County Joint Union High School District. Uplifting and building upon community strengths, the program will provide mentoring, academic support, college and career advising, dual enrollment opportunities, family engagement, and professional development for teachers and counselors, while also bringing schools and local organizations together to expand educational and career pathways across the community.
  
• Creating Pathways to College Success will support more than 1,800 students in Castroville and the Pajaro Valley, partnering with North Monterey County Unified and Pajaro Valley Unified School Districts. The program will provide dual enrollment opportunities, tutoring, mentoring, college and career readiness programs, and family-centered activities that celebrate and build on community strengths. 

Together, these grants represent not only federal investment but also a powerful regional commitment. To apply, UC Santa Cruz’s partners pledged $18.33 million in matching contributions, provided through in-kind resources to support students’ and families’ success. Across both grants, partners contributing resources include the Santa Cruz County Office of Education; Cabrillo and Hartnell Colleges; the Civil Rights Office of Monterey County; the City of Gonzales; the City of Soledad; Sun Street Centers; and community organizations such as Digital NEST, MAIA Foundation, Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance, Santa Cruz Community Credit Union, Watsonville Public Library, and Your Future is Our Business.

“These grants are transformative for the students and families in our communities,” said Maria Rocha-Ruiz, assistant vice chancellor of educational partnerships and chief campus outreach officer. “To receive two of five awards granted in California is a testament to the urgent need for this work and the strength of our partnerships. GEAR UP is not only about preparing students for college—it is about opening equitable pathways, fostering sustainable college-going and completion cultures, building lasting community networks of support, and advancing educational equity that further strengthens our entire region.”

About GEAR UP at UC Santa Cruz
For 25 years, UC Santa Cruz’s Educational Partnership Center has led GEAR UP programs that work alongside students and families across the Central Coast. Through long-term partnerships with K–12, postsecondary institutions, and community partners, GEAR UP has helped increase high school graduation, expand college eligibility, and support families in navigating the path to higher education. With these two new grants—totaling $18.33 million over seven years and representing two of just five awards in California—UC Santa Cruz reaffirms its leadership in advancing educational opportunity across the region. 

For more information on GEAR UP and EPC programs at UC Santa Cruz, visit https://epc.ucsc.edu/programs/gearup/