SSC GEAR UP Program Hosts Oklahoma’s Promise Event

Josh Hutton
In this photo, SSC GEAR UP Educational Coordinators (from left) Leah Martin, Zoe Blue and Kate Sprague greet attendees at the Oklahoma’s Promise Family Event on March 7.
SSC GEAR UP Educational Coordinators (from left) Leah Martin, Zoe Blue and Kate Sprague greet attendees at the Oklahoma’s Promise Family Event on March 7.

Seminole State College’s Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, or GEAR UP, hosted an Oklahoma’s Promise Family Event on March 7 in the Enoch Kelly Haney Center on campus.

The event gave students and parents an opportunity to learn more about Oklahoma’s Promise, enroll in the scholarship program and receive additional information about SSC’s GEAR UP services.

Oklahoma’s Promise allows qualified Oklahoma students to earn a scholarship for college or technology center tuition. The program is administered by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Eligible students must meet residency, income, academic and conduct requirements, and applications must be submitted before a student’s official high school graduation date. Parents and students can find the Oklahoma’s Promise application and more information at okpromise.org.

SSC’s GEAR UP program is funded through the college’s GEAR UP – Believe and Achieve federal grant. The $6.5 million grant provides $934,400 annually over a seven-year period, beginning Sept. 1, 2024, and is designed to help increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.

In this photo, Strother Middle School students Aubree Fleming (left) and Cara Fleming (right) play a card game with GEAR UP Educational Coordinator Jackie Bush (center) during the event.
Strother Middle School students Aubree Fleming (left) and Cara Fleming (right) play a card game with GEAR UP Educational Coordinator Jackie Bush (center) during the event.

The grant serves approximately 1,168 students across 12 school districts: Asher, Holdenville, Konawa, Maud, Moss, Okemah, Seminole, Strother, Tecumseh, Varnum, Wetumka and Wewoka.

SSC’s GEAR UP program begins working with students in the sixth and seventh grades and continues supporting them through their first year of postsecondary education. In addition to helping families understand Oklahoma’s Promise, the program provides workshops, academic enrichment, mentoring, educational field trips, summer camps and financial aid information. It also offers professional development for educators and training for parents on the importance of secondary education.

The March 7 event was designed to help families better understand the steps students can take now to prepare for college and access available financial support opportunities.