Promise Zone board makes changes

Promise Zone board makes changes

The Mason County Promise Zone has changed some of its requirements and is expanding its length of offering. The Promise Zone board recently expanded the eligible population of students to include Mason County residents who have lived in the county for at least a year, including their final year of high school, to apply for the Promise if they attend a registered homeschool or an in-person or online high school located outside of Mason County.  Students who apply will be asked to supply documentation to allow the Promise to verify their residency and other information in order to qualify.

Additionally, in fall 2023, the Promise will offer an educational supplies award to both new and returning students. This makes the Promise Scholarship more relevant to students with federal or state financial aid grants that cover tuition, as those students, who historically, rarely benefited from the middle-dollar funding. 

Promise Board Chair Monica Schuyler said the board was excited to provide an option for an educational supplies award to students. Information related to the 2023-24 award will be distributed to students as a part of their initial approval or renewal notice.

The duration of the Promise scholarship has also been extended for an additional two years. The Promise scholarship is now available available to eligible scholars for up to six years after a student’s high school graduation. In the six-year time frame, the Promise will continue to be available for up to 72 total attempted credits at West Shore Community College. This change will be retroactive to the 2018 cohort and effective immediately, which means that students who have started and stopped out, or haven’t started yet, will have at least one more year to use the Promise to complete a certification, degree, or transfer requirements at WSCC. 

“These changes will continue to support students in achieving post-secondary outcomes, which helps our local economy to thrive and enhances financial stability for residents in our community,” said Kathy Surd, who serves on the Promise student success committee as a liaison to local educators.

The Promise Scholarship covers tuition and mandatory fees at WSCC for eligible students up to four years after high school graduation, with a limit of 72 attempted credits. For more information on the Promise Scholarship, visit MasonCountyPromise.org

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