524 graduating seniors accepted for Birmingham Promise scholarship program

Birmingham Promise, a resource for higher education and work experiences for Birmingham City Schools, received a record number of college scholarship applications this year. Keep scrolling for more information about this program and their record-breaking year.

Record number of scholarship applications

Of approximately 2,000 graduates, 524 students from Birmingham City Schools were accepted for the Birmingham Promise scholarship program. These scholarships are available to graduates of Birmingham City Schools who attend public colleges and universities in Alabama and cover tuition and mandatory fees.

Birmingham Promise’s executive director released a statement on the mission of this program.

“The purpose of Birmingham Promise scholarships is to make a college education more accessible and affordable to young people in Birmingham City Schools. National studies show that programs like Birmingham Promise lead to higher rates of college enrollment and graduation, especially for low-income students of color.”

Samantha Williams, Executive Director, Birmingham Promise

Williams also expressed how she expects and hopes to see these numbers continue to grow in future years.

About Birmingham Promise

Birmingham Promise seeks to prepare students in Birmingham City Schools to achieve economic prosperity. In doing this, they provide career experience and help reduce the cost of postsecondary education for all students.

Karma Jefferson, one of this year’s graduating seniors, told Birmingham Promise what this program means to her.

“The beautiful thing about Birmingham Promise is that it gives you a chance. No matter if you didn’t play sports, join clubs or have the highest GPA, this is your chance.”

Karma Jefferson, senior, Carver High School

In late 2019, Mayor Randall Woodfin announced Birmingham Promise in his operating budget proposal. Since its launch in 2020, Birmingham Promise has provided $5.5 million in tuition assistance to 1,000 Birmingham City School graduates.

According to Birmingham Promise, seniors in Birmingham City Schools also have an opportunity to get paid work experience as interns through the program. Internship applications for next year’s seniors also set a record this year, with more than 250 juniors asking for the opportunity to participate in the program and build their career skills.

Here at Bham Now, we’re big fans of Birmingham Promise. Check out some of our other articles on this amazing program:

• How the city of Birmingham is making college more accessible
• FAFSA can be a headache, but here’s how the city plans to help
• Alabama Power, Altec and Regions commit $3M to Birmingham Promise

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