When Blaine County's MSU-Extension Agent, Trent Noel attended Harlem Junior/Senior High School, he participated in the Montana GEAR UP program. Noel largely credits that program, a Pathways Scholarship, and the mentorship he received from project advisor Craig Todd for his post-secondary degree.

GEAR UP, which stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, serves students beginning no later than the seventh grade and follows them through high school. It gives academically prepared students from low and low to middle-income families access to a post-secondary e...