The Columbus Promise is a program for Columbus City Schools graduates that covers tuition and fees at Columbus State Community College and offers special services and support.
To become a Columbus Promise Scholar, students must:
There will be workshops in your high school building held over the next few months to help you complete these items. If you need help, please get in touch with the I Know I Can College Advising Manager or a School Counselor in your high school building. You can apply during one of two application cycles: either by April 15, 2022 or by August 15, 2022.
If you do the above, you will be accepted into the program, and will have to complete the Columbus Promise Pledge, which is an agreement that you plan to become a Columbus Promise Scholar and plan to enroll in college in the Autumn semester of the 2022-2023 academic year.
Being a Columbus Promise Scholar means:
You can apply during one of two application cycles. The requirements for each are the same: complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, an application for admission to Columbus State Community College, and a Columbus Promise application.
The earlier you apply, the earlier you’ll find out you’re eligible for Columbus Promise and be able to take the next steps toward receiving your Columbus Promise award and enrolling for autumn.
There are lots of benefits to applying early! Completing your application by April 15! The sooner you complete your application, the sooner you can:
• Participate in your high school’s College Signing Day activities
• Make a plan for the summer.
• Meet other Columbus Promise Scholars and sign up for free programs that will help you get a strong start to college.
• Register for classes at Columbus State and get the best selection of classes.
• Complete any remaining steps to receive your scholarship award.
• Brag to your friends and family that you’re going to college after high school.
In addition to covering the cost of tuition and fees, the program will grant students a scholarship ($500 each semester for full-time students, $300 for part-time students) that they can use for books or other expenses.
Promise students can work while attending college as long as they enroll in the minimum nine (9) credit hours each semester and maintain continuous enrollment in autumn and spring semesters (summer enrollment is optional). Columbus Promise Advisors are there to help students make a plan for success around their work and college responsibilities.
Columbus Promise Scholars are just like any other college student, balancing school, life, and work or other activities. As a Columbus Promise Scholar, you will have a special Columbus Promise Advisor who will guide you to success. You will meet with them several times a year.
Yes, when you apply, you can share your status at that time. We’d love to have you in the program!
If you are a member of the class of 2022 and graduate in the spring or summer, then you are eligible. Just take note of the application deadlines: you must apply by either April 15 or August 15, and you must enroll in classes at college in autumn 2022.
The Columbus Promise program is currently open to every single student in Columbus City Schools who graduates from Columbus City Schools in 2022, 2023, or 2024. There are no specific student or family income requirements.
Yes, Columbus State Community College offers support services. Once you are accepted into the Columbus Promise, your Promise Advisor can help you learn more about these.
If you’re enrolled in Columbus City Schools and can meet the other eligibility requirements above, then you are eligible.
Yes, you’re still welcome to be part of the program. If you come in with a lot of college credits already, you might be able to graduate early – you can talk to your Promise Advisor about it when you make your college plan!
The Promise program requires students to remain continuously enrolled in autumn and spring semesters (summer enrollment is optional). If you have a compelling need to take a semester off, talk to your Columbus Promise Advisor about appealing the continuous enrollment requirement based on special circumstances.
Students are required to enroll in the immediate fall following their high school graduation. If you have a compelling need to delay your start, an exception may be possible. Once you complete the Columbus Promise application and receive confirmation that you are eligible for The Columbus Promise Scholarship award, you can reach out to columbuspromise@iknowican.org about appealing the requirement to enroll in the fall.
This program is currently limited to students in Columbus City Schools high schools.
Yep! However, you do still need to complete separate applications for those programs, and meet all their requirements too.
The Columbus Promise has been launched as a three-year pilot, available to Columbus City Schools students in the classes of 2022, 2023, and 2024. Our hope is to expand the program to make it possible to extend Promise to more students; watch this website for more information.
Getting a college education can help you get a good job. You have a lot of options, from short certificate programs that can help you get a job after one or two semesters of study to longer programs. We encourage you to explore the Columbus State Community College website and learn more about their programs. Currently, programs are divided into pathways that you can explore here:
You can also get an associate degree and use it to transfer to a four-year university to get a bachelor’s degree.
Currently, the Columbus Promise only includes Columbus State Community College, which does not award bachelor’s degrees. However, Columbus State can help you complete your associate degree and then transfer. In fact, Columbus State has nine universities that agree to accept all students who meet certain basic criteria; you can learn more here.
In the future, we would like to add the option to the Columbus Promise to enroll directly in a four-year university.
