A German Promise?

January 2, 2015January 2, 2015 / Promise / Leave a comment

Since 1985, the cost of going to college in the U.S. has soared by more than 500 percent and there doesn’t seem to be any relief in sight. That increase? It’s twice the increase of medical cost, three times the increase of gas prices and four times the increase of the cost of shelter. (If you want to see what this has meant at your favorite school, follow this sad link to the Chronicle of Higher Education’s recent tuition study.)

So where can a young person — especially one without a local Promise program — turn for relief? Perhaps Germany? France? Maybe Brazil? Continue reading →

Building Mile-High Strength On Pennies

December 30, 2014December 31, 2014 / Promise / Leave a comment

By Patricia Melton

Perhaps it is the nature of election cycles, which usually focus on immediate needs. But it seems that taxpayer dollars are far more often apportioned to a “quick fix” campaign promise than applied to address a long-term sustainable investment.

But folks in Denver are counting on the success of the Denver Scholarship Foundation as a reason to buck that trend. For, if not, the organization may have to make a tough choice to reduce the number of students it serves or cut the level of support per student. Continue reading →

Looking Back At 2014

December 27, 2014December 31, 2014 / Promise / Leave a comment

As we enter the final days of 2014, we look back at a significant year in the Promise movement as new Cities of Promise have emerged with innovative ways to fund scholarships and support students. Here’s a look back at some of the things that happened in the last 12 months:

• Tennessee went Promise mad as a huge percentage of the state’s high school seniors signed up for the Tennessee Promise, which Gov. Bill Haslam proposed and guided into law. The Promise will use proceeds from the state lottery to provide residents with free tuition at community colleges and colleges of applied technology beginning in the fall of 2015.

• The Seattle Promise — a bold new initiative from the Seattle Central Foundation — was established to provide a full scholarship to every student at Seattle Central College who demonstrates financial need, enrolls full time and maintains a 3.0 grade-point average. By eliminating financial need as a barrier to paying tuition, the Seattle Promise will allow low-income Seattle students of all ages — not just recent high school graduates — to pursue a higher education. Continue reading →

California Gold Rush? We’ll See

December 23, 2014December 31, 2014 / Promise / Leave a comment

College affordability and tuition hikes are front and center in the Golden State right now. State officials believe they’ve uncovered a ‘silver bullet’ solution for low-income students while a funding skirmish over the state’s university system threatens to overburden others.

Just after the school year began in September, the state legislature enacted two bills intended to provide additional college financial aid relief to low-income students. Now, with just a week left for residents to take advantage of the tax incentive program, its looking like the Cal Grant B Access Awards will be bigger than ever. Continue reading →