Oklahoma Promise
Oklahoma’s Promise was created in 1992 by the Legislature to help more Oklahoma families send their children to college. The scholarship 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 for Oklahoma’s Promise, 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.
To receive 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. Oklahoma’s Promise graduates also must attend class regularly and refrain from drug and alcohol abuse and delinquent acts.
Students completing the Oklahoma’s Promise program continue to be successful academically, with high school GPAs (3.41 average GPA) 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. They also have above-average full-time college enrollment, persistence rates 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.
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.
OK Promise Information
OK Promise Website:
http://www.okhighered.org/okpromise/
Frequently Asked Questions Link:
http://www.okhighered.org/okpromise/faq.shtml
Application and Income Link:
http://www.okhighered.org/okpromise/app-income-faq.shtml
What is the difference between parent and legal guardian?
For purposes of the Oklahoma’s Promise application, the legal guardian is not the parent but rather the guardian as appointed by a court of law. Temporary guardianship, power of attorney or a notarized statement by the parent do not qualify as legal guardianship. Legal guardians do not need to submit income information but rather a copy of the legal guardian paperwork issued by the court.
What are the application requirements for adopted children?
Special income provisions apply to students who have been adopted while in the permanent custody of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services or in the court-ordered custody of a licensed, private, nonprofit child-placing agency or federally recognized Indian tribe. For these adopted students, no income verification is required at the time of application in the eighth, ninth or 10th grade. However, documentation of the legal adoption is required. These adopted students will be subject to a second income limit at the time the student enters college. For students adopted between the ages of birth and 12, the second income limit will be $150,000. For students adopted between the ages of 13 and 17, the second income limit will be $200,000. Parents of adopted children who do not fall under this provision of the law are still subject to the $50,000 initial income limit and the $100,000 second income limit.
What grade does a student have to be in to apply for Oklahoma's Promise?
Students must be enrolled in the eighth, ninth or 10th grade to be eligible to apply for Oklahoma’s Promise (homeschool students must be age 13, 14 or 15; see the following question). Applications are dated by academic year (i.e., 2011-12 school year). Students completing the seventh grade in May must wait until the next school year application is available in August to apply. Students completing the 10th grade in May MUST apply before the June 30 application deadline.