The ever-increasing cost of tuition, in conjunction with the enormous student-debt crisis, has given way to a new type of program that “promises” to provide access to and financial assistance towards a college degree. It can be summed up in two words: NO TUITION. Zero. None. Free. You get into college, you study, you do well and you graduate with a degree – all while not paying tuition. There are a few conditions, but they’re absolutely worth looking into as a means of avoiding college debt.
Programs that allow for students to matriculate without paying tuition go by several names and forms, but they are commonly known as Promise Programs – they promise to provide students with a degree, at no financial cost. Notice I said “without paying tuition” – that’s because they’re essentially scholarships that are directly applied to tuition fees, some cover books and livings expenses, while others don’t.
U Penn’s AHEAD Program and their Searchable Database
According to the University of Pennsylvania’s Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy (AHEAD) Program, a College Promise Program is one that meets the following three criteria:
- a central goal of increasing higher education attainment
- a financial award beyond federal and state aid to offset the costs of college
- a “place-based” eligibility requirement (e.g., living in a certain city, attending a certain school) in addition to, or in place of, academic or need-based criteria
In order to advance their knowledge of and better understand the types of College Promise Programs available across the country, the AHEAD Team at U Penn created an online searchable database of College Promise Programs across the United States, falling into seven program categories.
This online database is a fantastic place to start learning about what programs are offered in your state and local area.