Pittsburgh Promise signs agreement with 19 Pa. colleges

Nineteen Pennsylvania colleges and universities have signed a formal agreement to help Pittsburgh Promise recipients attending those schools with the cost of lodging or books and the transition to campus life, the scholarship program announced Wednesday.

The Promise asked schools to pledge at least $2,000 per student per year for room and board — although some promised up to $5,000 — and for students not living on campus that money will cover the cost of textbooks. In exchange, the Promise will promote those schools to Pittsburgh Public Schools students nearing graduation.

“Because financial and social barriers prevent many students from pursuing and completing their education and training, the Preferred College Partners initiative will work to help The Promise and post-secondary institutions to remove such barriers and fortify the foundations that all students need to succeed,” Promise

executive director Saleem Ghubril said in a news release that accompanied a news conference.

Schools also will provide targeted support services to Promise students. At Carlow University, for instance, that will include existing programs like oneon-one mentoring and a week of transition activities before the fall semester. Under the Preferred College Partners initiative, a Carlow administrator will be assigned to work directly with Promise recipients.

“The infrastructure and support mechanisms are so strong that no student is lost,” said Carlow president Suzanne K. Mellon.

Beyond the perennial concern about the rising cost of college, many students find the transition itself difficult, said Chelsea Lewis, a CAPA 6-12 senior and Promise “ambassador” intern at the scholarship program.

“This initiative will help expand financial aid options for Pittsburgh students, and support services will make sure that students can handle that transition to be as successful as possible,” she said.

The program begins with Pittsburgh's Class of 2018. Participating schools are Allegheny College, Carlow University, Community College of Allegheny County, Chatham University, Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne University, Geneva College, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, La Roche College, Penn State University, Pittsburgh Technical College, Point Park University, Robert Morris University, Saint Vincent College, Seton Hill University, Slippery Rock University, Susquehanna University, Thiel College and Westminster College.

Since 2008, the Promise has awarded more than 7,300 scholarships worth more than $102 million. Beginning with the Class of 2017, the maximum scholarship amount students can receive over a four-year period is $30,000 — down from $40,000— to help lengthen the life of the program through 2028.