Gary West Side Leadership Academy graduate Clarence Grier credits his experience in a federal program called GEAR UP for rekindling his interest in school.

The Trump administration pulled the plug on GEAR UP in Indiana last month, terminating Purdue University’s $34.9 million grant awarded last year under the Biden administration.

Administered through Purdue’s education department, GEAR UP focused on college prep programs for low-income students in 10 Indiana districts, including the Gary Community School Corp.

“GEAR UP was a massive opportunity not only for me, but for all the kids involved,” said Grier, who’s studying electronic technology at Lincoln Tech in Melrose Park, Ill.

“It was not just a way to get college benefits. It was a community, a way to allow kids at West Side to do t

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