This amendment restores $250,000 from the general fund the second year provided during the 2020 regular session for SCHEV to implement the Guidance to Postsecondary Success (GPS) program. These funds were later unalloted. The purpose of this new initiative is to increase student transitions from high school to postsecondary education and also help students find the right fit for their future and in terms of costs. Each year, 25,000 high school graduates do not enroll in postsecondary education within 16 months, including significantly higher percentages for African-American, Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students. The pandemic and virtual learning environments in high schools are expected to exacerbate these inequitable outcomes in the coming year. Working closely with the Virginia Department of Education, SCHEV will seek to increase these enrollment rates through the development of materials and informational resources and the coordination of awareness events, professional development opportunities for secondary staff and partnerships with institutions, schools, school divisions and non-profit organizations. In addition, these funds will be used as a match for an upcoming SCHEV application for a federally-funded Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant that also will focus on school division-specific and statewide outreach programs, as well as, required scholarships for eligible students.