A Promise is A Promise

By Marsha Danielson, President, Minnesota State College Southeast

October 13, 2022

Published in the Red Wing Republican Eagle

By now, you've likely heard the good news about the Red Wing College Promise! Thanks to the Jones Family Foundation, the Red Wing College Promise will make it possible for qualifying Red Wing public high school students who live in the school district to attend Minnesota State College Southeast at no cost for tuition and fees for up to two years. 

College promise or tuition-free college programs are becoming a popular tool across the country to help make college more affordable and to encourage local economic development. There are now more than 350 college promise programs spread across 44 states. 

One of the very first such programs was the Kalamazoo Promise Program in Michigan. Since it was launched in 2005, the local school district experienced student enrollment increases, higher numbers of teachers applying to work in the schools, and improvement in the school climate. Overall, community support for the public school system was enhanced. 

What's more, the results in Kalamazoo grew beyond the school district. College enrollment, persistence, and completion increased. Local businesses and development grew as new families moved into the community so that their children could attend college tuition-free.

College promise programs often unify the community around the future success of their youth. These programs are very diverse in nature; however, they all share three common goals:

• To make pursuing a postsecondary education degree, credential, or license affordable, especially to those who might not otherwise consider it or think it is a possibility within reach; 
• To address concerns about student debt; and
• To proactively invest in workforce development to support a vital and sustainable workforce and economic climate.

Promise programs help families understand that college is attainable and affordable because tuition will not have to be paid from constrained family finances, and that, with the right preparation, their children can afford to go to college if they choose to do so.

Plus, college promise programs deliver a high economic return for each dollar spent. A study by the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research showed that each dollar spent provided $4.60 in increased economic activity for the local community.

Most promise programs include basic requirements that students must meet to participate and remain in the program. These can include grade point average, level of enrollment, time since high school graduation, and residency requirements, among others. 

However, keeping eligibility requirements to a minimum makes it possible for those who stand to benefit the most to participate. The focus on should be on need-based rather than merit-based aid.

To maximize access and overall success, promise programs usually target students who are less likely to enter college directly after high school ¬-- low-income students, first generation college students, and students identifying as a member of historically underserved racial or ethnic group. 

It's important that promise programs cover fees as well as tuition. Fees are often hidden costs that form genuine barriers to consistent participation in college. Plus, funding to cover additional costs such as textbooks is offered in many promise programs. 

College promise programs have been proven to work because the message is simple and clear: You CAN go to college! Thanks to the Red Wing College Promise, we hope many more students will be able to walk through the doors of Minnesota State College Southeast and get the education they need to earn a family sustaining wage.