By Airik Myers, The Seattle Medium
Do you have a child in a Seattle Public School (SPS)? If so, you may want to consider applying for the Seattle Promise Program. The program, a partnership between Seattle Colleges, Seattle Public Schools, and the City of Seattle, provides graduates of SPS high schools with an opportunity to obtain a tuition free degree or certificate from a Seattle College.
The program, which has seen record enrollment over the course of the last two years, continues to grow and provide an opportunity for many students to pursue their dreams of furthering their education.
“It’s super important that there are these opportunities out there. And I want to make sure that our students, especially our [students of color], have access to [them],” said Dr. Dwane Chappelle, the Director of the Department of Education and Early Learning.
According to Chappelle, the pandemic has impacted several levels of the education system, but the Seattle Promise Program was able to stay strong and adapt. Although last year was rough on some of the students in the program, the students remained resilient, and the program saw a record number of completions.
Despite the success of the program, around 500 Seattle Promise scholars who started college in Fall 2019 and 2020 stopped their college studies during the pandemic. According to administrators of the program, many of the student had personal/family obligations that took priority over school, like child or sibling care, and other financial burdens.
As a result, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and the Seattle City Council approved a measure in December 2020 that allowed scholars from the Seattle Promise 2019 and 2020 cohorts to either defer their enrollment, enroll part-time, or take additional time to complete their degrees. In addition, the program also leveraged Federal funding to allow students extra time to complete their degrees.
“We received about a $10.7 million investment and we took that and put it towards student success,” says Chappelle. “The adjustments that we made pretty much [were] just to support the scholars to really complete their degree during the pandemic, like allowing opportunities for re-entry, or for some, part-time [studies]. And then we expanded the eligibility, equity and scholarships.”
One of the primary goals of the program is to provide the students with access and opportunities. According to Chappelle, there are many jobs and opportunities that students are unaware of, and part of the job of the program is to share this information with the scholars. In addition, the program also emphasizes that financial freedom is vital to their long-term success, and that there are other avenues to attain a degree rather than taking out loan.
Despite the ongoing pandemic, the Program has continued to thrive. The ability for students to take a break from school has helped maintain high enrollment numbers. This has also helped to relieve the stresses that being a scholar can have.
Once accepted to the program, high school seniors go through a series of workshops that will prepare them for their next level of education. They learn how to fill our FAFSA (financial aid) forms and how to register for classes. They also receive support from the staff throughout the year.
In addition, the City of Seattle is partnering with the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (WSOS) to guarantee Seattle Promise students who are interested in trade, STEM or health care careers have access to additional financial aid and support services through their Baccalaureate and Career and Technical Scholarship programs. This new partnership will guarantee Promise students have access to this competitive scholarship program. Promise students can couple WSOS to earn their associate degree or baccalaureate degree in hundreds of eligible programs. Students can use WSOS funds to cover costs like transportation, childcare, or lodging. They will also have access to an array of support services, including mentorship and other resources. There are also tools to prepare for their career, such as interview prep, resume review, and more.
Seattle Promise has also recently partnered with the University of Washington to help students transition from a Seattle College to a local University. The new program, which aims to serve 80 students annually, includes mentorship, access to coursework, and assistance in transferring credits.
Proponents of the program believe that it is a huge opportunity for students in the community. For students of color especially, the Promise Program presents a great way to obtain a 2-year degree.
Applications are open for high school seniors from now until February 1, 2022. This is the deadline for applications to both the Seattle Promise Program and Seattle Colleges.
“I would say [to people], please encourage your child, your nephew, your niece, or whomever, to sign up for the Seattle Promise program, [and] take advantage of this opportunity,” says Chappelle. “I would say that it’s a really great program, and it’s here to support those who are interested in pursuing some type of degree or credential. [It is for] those [who are] interested in pursuing or an obtaining their two-year degree and looking to transfer on.”
“The Program is continuing to strive the close race-based opportunity gaps, and we are encouraging all families to take advantage,” he concluded.
This article is one of a series of articles produced by The Seattle Medium through support provided by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to Word In Black, a collaborative of 10 Black-owned media outlets across the country.
