PROMISE Facts

What is PROMISE?

• The West Virginia PROMISE (Providing Real Opportunities for Maximizing In-state Student Excellence) Scholarship Program, approved by the Legislature in 1999, offers each West Virginia high school graduate who completes school in West Virginia* with a 3.0 grade point average in the core and overall coursework as well as a composite ACT score of at least 21, or a combined SAT score of 1000 (with a minimum ACT sub score of 20 in all subject areas or a minimum score of 490 on the verbal section and a 480 on the math section of the SAT), a full tuition scholarship to a state college or university or an equivalent dollar scholarship ($3160) to an in-state private college.
• The PROMISE Scholarship is based on the student’s achievements – not on his or her parent’s financial resources, not on the college’s resources, not on other factors.  We are tying this opportunity, this investment, directly to the achievement on the part of the individual.
  
  * Residents of WV who commute daily to an out-of-state private high school are also eligible to apply for PROMISE.

Why is the PROMISE Scholarship so critical?

• Only 16.3 percent of West Virginians over the age of 25 have a college degree—compared to 21.7% in the southeastern states and 24.4% in the United States as a whole.  That is a hindrance to economic development.
• Several other states have found that the quickest and most effective way to motivate students to study harder and to achieve in school is to offer good students the opportunity to attend college tuition free.
• By putting forth a reward for achievement, we’re saying to students that working hard and playing by the rules and meeting tough expectations will earn them the opportunity to attend college.  That’s a lesson that should ring throughout our educational system.
• Getting more students into college is the best thing we can do to turn around the economies of our communities, to attract energetic people to the state and to keep our best students home in West Virginia.
• Middle-income students often do not qualify for needs-based aid.  Often they delay school, work too many hours or borrow large sums to attend college.  The average loan burden carried by our college graduates in West Virginia has increased by more than 50% since 1994.

2003 PROMISE Scholarship Awards

• 4,300 Students eligible for the PROMISE Scholarship
• PROMISE Scholars awarded in every WV County
• Over 1200 PROMISE Scholars eligible for the WV Grant
• 6000 expected to use the PROMISE Scholarship for 2003-2004

PROMISE Funding

• The program is funded and will award scholarships to all qualified students beginning with the high school class of 2002.
• $5.5 million has been appropriated for fiscal year beginning 2001
• $10 million will be appropriated on July 1, 2002
• $17 million will be appropriated on July 1, 2003
• $27 million will be appropriated on July 1, 2004

Source of Funds

• The PROMISE Scholarship program will be funded by appropriations from the West Virginia lottery, video lottery, taxes on amusement devices, and any other legislative appropriation.

Coordination of Funding

• We will coordinate scholarship benefits with need-based programs.  Needy students will be eligible for all current programs.  PROMISE Scholarships will be closely coordinated with the State Treasurer’s Prepaid Tuition program.

Contact Information
Lisa DeFrank-Cole, Ed.D. ● Executive Director
PROMISE Scholarship Program, Suite 700 ● 1018 Kanawha Boulevard, E. ● Charleston, West Virginia 25301
Telephone: 304.558.4417 ● Toll Free: 1.877.WVPROMISE ● Fax: 304.558.3264 ● E-mail: promise@hepc.wvnet.edu

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