dcwins.com
Seniors in Birmingham City Schools face a May 1 deadline to complete their Birmingham Promise scholarship applications and ensure they have an opportunity to attend college tuition-free.
The program covers up to four years of tuition in public Alabama colleges and universities for all Birmingham City Schools graduates. To date, Promise has provided more than $11 million in tuition assistance to more than 1,600 graduates of Birmingham City Schools.
“This is an opportunity that we don’t want any Birmingham graduate to miss,” said Samantha Williams, executive director of Birmingham Promise. “There’s no grade requirement, but students will need to complete an application process. We urge students and their parents not to wait until the last minute to get started.”
In addition to completing a Birmingham Promise application, students must also fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which is commonly referred to as FAFSA. That process has undergone changes and created some challenges, Williams said.
The Birmingham Promise application is simple, and all graduating seniors at Birmingham City Schools should have received a link to the application via their Outlook email school account.
Anyone with questions or needing help can email scholarships@birminghampromise.org or call 205-843-5967.
Birmingham graduates do not have to pursue a four-year degree to benefit from Birmingham Promise, Williams said. Scholarship funds can also be used for students who are interested in completing two-year community college degrees or even shorter certificate programs.
