Birmingham Promise Woodfin Alabama Power, Altec, and Regions commit $3 million to Birmingham Promise — Mayor Randall Woodfin is joined by Birmingham City Schools superintendent Lisa Herring, Birmingham students and representatives from Alabama Power, Regions Banks, Altec, Inc and United Way of Central Alabama. The group announced a $3 million commitment to Birmingham Promise. Photo by Pat Byington for Bham Now

Today, Mayor Randall L. Woodfin and Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Lisa Herring announced the commitment of $3 million by Alabama Power Foundation, Altec\Styslinger Foundation, and Regions to the Birmingham Promise tuition assistance program.

“It is a banner day in education for our community and the city of Birmingham,” declared Mayor Woodfin.

In addition to the monetary commitment from each entity, Regions President John Turner, Chairman and CEO of Altec Inc. Lee Styslinger, and Mark Crosswhite – chairman and CEO of Alabama Power Company – will serve as fundraising co-chairs for Birmingham Promise.

“The bottom line is this,” said Woodfin. We no longer want the limitless potential of Birmingham City School students to be handcuffed by their circumstances. The steps we take today are the building blocks for Birmingham’s future workforce.”

The mayor added, “I’m very grateful to the Alabama Power Foundation, Altec\Styslinger Foundation, Regions, and our business community and academic partners for helping us put people first.”

What is Birmingham Promise?

randall woodfin twitter birmingham promise — Mayor Woodfin introduced the Birmingham Promise in 2019. Photo via @randallwoodfin on Twitter.

A cornerstone initiative of the Woodfin administration, Birmingham Promise will create new career and college opportunities for graduates of Birmingham City Schools. It will also help meet the workforce needs of Birmingham’s current and future employers.

The program has two tracks: tuition assistance that covers college and apprenticeships that provide Birmingham high school students with jobs and career experience to prepare them for post-graduation opportunities.

Students of Birmingham City Schools who are in the graduating class of 2020 are now eligible to apply for apprenticeships and scholarships.

Birmingham Promise student Alabama Power, Altec, and Regions commit $3 million to Birmingham Promise — Birmingham Promise students taking questions from the media. Photo by Pat Byington for Bham Now

Assistance from Birmingham Promise can be used to help pay tuition and mandatory fees at any public two-year or four-year college in Alabama.

The February 25th announcement comes just days before the March 1 deadline for Birmingham City Schools students to apply for the Birmingham Promise. To qualify, students must apply to the Birmingham Promise, complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and be accepted by a public college or university in Alabama by the time they graduate.

To learn all the details about Birmingham Promise visit their website at:

https://www.birminghampromise.org