Scholarship push

Pittsburgh Promise looks to expand eligibility

Education is a key to improving the lives of future generations, and The Pittsburgh Promise is stepping up efforts to make sure more Pittsburgh Public Schools students have the opportunity to attend college and pursue a career.

The nonprofit that funds college scholarships for Pittsburgh high schoolers plans to put professional “coaches” in three city high schools to help students meet the requirements for scholarship eligibility. It’s a laudable effort that could make a huge difference in the lives of those students.

As part of a four-year pilot program, the so-called “Promise Coaches” will work with students in Perry, Milliones and Carrick high schools to help them reach the eligibility requirements of an unweighted 2.5 grade-point average and 90% attendance. The coaches will work with all students, but particularly those who are at risk of falling below the requirements.

The three schools were selected because the usage rate for The Pittsburgh Promise was particularly low there. Officials hope to increase usage by two-thirds at Carrick, double it at Milliones and triple it at Perry.

In addition to the Pittsburgh

Public Schools, Carlow University and Community College of Allegheny County are partners in the program, funded through a $3.9 million grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

Carlow and CCAC accept a large number of students who are at-risk of missing out on the scholarships, according to The Pittsburgh Promise officials, so the schools will also have coaches available to help keep city school students who enroll there career-focused.

The Promise and the schools are putting the grant money to good use, providing coaching to help students obtain scholarships, and more coaching to help them if they enroll at Carlow or CCAC.

The Promise awards annual scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, depending on a student’s tuition costs and financial situation. Since its inception in 2008, officials said the program has invested about $140 million in 9,500 students.

The coaching program focuses on students who might otherwise never consider a college education. It’s the type of project The Pittsburgh Promise should continue to develop and expand to other schools.