[Oasfaa] Press release - Oklahoma's Promise Day at the State Capitol

[Fair, Bryce]

Below is a press release issued today about Oklahoma's Promise Day at the State Capitol.  We had a very successful event with about 300 people in attendance.  Those speaking at the rally included:

*       Chancellor Glen Johnson

*       Governor Mary Fallin

*       Lt. Governor  Todd Lamb

*       Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman

*       State Representative Justin Wood (OKPromise recipient)

*       State Senator Jason Smalley

*       Willy Morales (former OKPromise recipient now employed as an aerospace engineer at Boeing in OKC)



April 14, 2015 - Students, Supporters Gather at State Capitol for Oklahoma's Promise Day [RSS feed] <http://www.okhighered.org/news.xml>

For Immediate Release
April 14, 2015
Media Contact: Angela Caddell
Office: 1-405-225-9346
Mobile: 1-405-919-5957
acaddell at osrhe.edu<mailto:acaddell at osrhe.edu>

More than 300 students, faculty, representatives from Oklahoma's public colleges and universities and other supporters gathered at the state Capitol Tuesday to show appreciation for the Legislature's ongoing support of the Oklahoma's Promise scholarship program and encourage legislators to continue to preserve the program's funding source.

Formerly known as the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP), Oklahoma's Promise was created in 1992 by the state Legislature to help more Oklahoma families send their children to college.

"For more than 20 years, Oklahoma's Promise has been a transformational program for the state of Oklahoma, helping more than 65,000 students achieve the dream of going to college," said Chancellor Glen D. Johnson. "Oklahoma's Promise continues to be recognized by many as one of America's best college access programs, a model that combines emphases on academic preparation and financial support for college. We want to thank Governor Fallin and the members of the Legislature for their continued support of the Oklahoma's Promise scholarship."

Oklahoma's Promise pays tuition at any Oklahoma public college or university until the student receives a bachelor's degree or for five years, whichever comes first. It will also cover a portion of tuition at an accredited Oklahoma private institution. The scholarship does not cover the cost of fees, books, or room and board.

To be eligible, students must apply during the eighth, ninth or 10th grade, and their family's annual income must not exceed $50,000 when they apply. A student's family income also must not exceed $100,000 at the time the student goes to college.

During the current academic year, about 18,300 students are expected to receive the scholarship in college. About 17,550 students are projected to receive the scholarship in 2015-16.

To be eligible for the scholarship at graduation, students must achieve a minimum 2.50 GPA in 17 core courses that prepare them for college and an overall GPA of 2.50 or better for all courses in grades nine through 12. While a minimum 2.50 GPA is required, on average, Oklahoma's Promise graduates achieve a 3.41 high school GPA. Oklahoma's Promise graduates also must attend class regularly and refrain from drug and alcohol abuse and delinquent acts.

In order to receive the scholarship in college, students must be U.S. citizens or lawfully present in the United States by the time they begin college.

Students completing the Oklahoma's Promise program continue to be successful academically, with high school GPAs that exceed the state average, ACT scores that exceed those of their comparable middle- and lower-income peers, and higher-than-average freshman college GPAs.

The college-going rate of Oklahoma's Promise students exceeds the state average for high school graduates-87 percent compared to 46 percent. They also have above-average full-time college enrollment, persistence and degree-completion rates. In addition, Oklahoma's Promise college graduates get jobs and stay in Oklahoma after college at a higher rate than non-Oklahoma's Promise graduates-87.1 percent compared to 85.7 percent.
For more information about Oklahoma's Promise, visit www.okpromise.org<http://www.okpromise.org/>.


Bryce Fair
Associate Vice Chancellor for Scholarships and Grants
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
P.O. Box 108850
Oklahoma City, OK  73101-8850
Email:  bfair at osrhe.edu
Phone: 405-225-9162
Fax: 405-225-9230

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