What are the characteristics of a Promise program? Because there is no national organization to clearly define such a program, there remains some debate and differing interpretations. At Cities of Promise, we take perhaps a more inclusive approach. Everyone agrees that the Promise movement is about place-based scholarships. Most would argue that it is city-, district- or county-wide initiative with an expectation of local economic development, but we are including the statewide lottery-supported programs (indicated by ••) as well. We feel that there is a lot to learn from those programs, many of which have been around for 20 years. And, of course, creating programming beyond just financial support seems to be a generally accepted component. Below is a state-by-state look at the 81 places we’ve deemed as “Cities of Promise” as well as the 21 states offering scholarships. The initiative has spread to 36 states. If you think we’ve missed one, let us know.
ALASKA
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
•• | Alaska Performance Scholarship | Juneau |
ARIZONA
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
Promise for the Future | Coolidge |
ARKANSAS
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
Arkadelphia Promise | Arkadelphia | |
The Great River Promise Scholarship | Blytheville | |
El Dorado Promise | El Dorado | |
•• | Academic Challenge Scholarships | Little Rock |
CALIFORNIA
COLORADO
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
Denver Scholarship Foundation | Denver | |
G.Town Promise | Greeley | |
Pueblo Promise | Pueblo |
CONNECTICUT
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
Hartford Promise | Hartford | |
New Haven Promise | New Haven |
DELAWARE
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
•• | Delaware SEED Scholarship | Dover |
FLORIDA
GEORGIA
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
•• | HOPE Scholarships | Atlanta |
ILLINOIS
INDIANA
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
College Bound Scholarship | Hammond | |
•• | 21st Century Scholars | Indianapolis |
Advantage Shelby County | Shelbyville |
IOWA
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
ISU 4U Promise | Des Moines |
KENTUCKY
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
Hopkinsville Rotary Scholars | Hopkinsville | |
•• | Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship | Lexington |
School Counts! | Madisonville |
LOUISIANA
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
•• | Taylor Opportunity Program for Students | Baton Rouge |
MARYLAND
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
Garrett County Scholarship Program | McHenry | |
Montgomery College Promise | Rockville |
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
The Power of YOU | Minneapolis | |
•• | MnSCU College Occupational Scholarship | St. Paul |
MISSOURI
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis | St. Louis |
NEVADA
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
•• | Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship | Carson City |
The Fulfillment Fund | Las Vegas |
NEW JERSEY
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
Rutgers Future Scholars | New Brunswick | |
Cooperman College Scholars | Newark | |
•• | New Jersey STARS Scholarship | Trenton |
NEW MEXICO
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
•• | Legislative Lottery Scholarship Program | Albuquerque |
NEW YORK
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
Say Yes To Education Buffalo | Buffalo | |
Say Yes To Education Syracuse | Syracuse |
NORTH CAROLINA
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
Say Yes To Education Guilford | Greensboro | |
Richmond CC Guarantee | Hamlet | |
The Cleveland County Promise | Shelby |
OHIO
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
Akron I Promise | Akron | |
Montgomery County Ohio College Promise | Dayton | |
Sinclair Scholars | Dayton | |
GC Promise Scholarship | Grove City |
OKLAHOMA
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
•• | Oklahoma’s Promise | Oklahoma City |
Tulsa Achieves | Tulsa |
OREGON
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
Bernard Daly Educational Fund | Lakeview | |
Future Connect | Portland | |
•• | Oregon Promise | Salem |
PENNSYLVANIA
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
50th Anniversary Scholars | Philadelphia | |
CORE Promise Scholarship | Philadelphia | |
The Pittsburgh Promise | Pittsburgh |
RHODE ISLAND
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
•• | The College Crusade of Rhode Island | Providence |
•• | Rhode Island’s Promise | Providence |
SOUTH CAROLINA
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
•• | LIFE Scholarship Program | Columbia |
TENNESSEE
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
Tennessee Promise Plus | Cleveland | |
Dyer County Promise Scholarship | Dyersburg | |
tn Achieves | Knoxville | |
Walters State Promise | Morristown | |
•• | Tennessee Promise | Nashville |
TEXAS
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
Rusk TJC Citizens Promise | Tyler |
VIRGINIA
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
Beacon of Hope | Lynchburg |
WASHINGTON
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
•• | College Success Foundation | Issaquah |
The Seattle Promise | Seattle | |
13th-Year Promise Scholarship | Seattle |
WEST VIRGINIA
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
•• | The Promise Scholarship | Charleston |
WISCONSIN
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
La Crosse Promise | La Crosse | |
The Degree Project | Milwaukee | |
MATC Promise | Milwaukee |
WYOMING
Program | City | |
---|---|---|
•• | Hathaway Scholarship | Cheyenne |