New Haven Promise Awards Scholarships

More than 100 students were honored on Thursday as the first class of New Haven Promise.  That’s the new scholarship program that provides college tuition for city students. 

Wearing caps and gowns, New Haven public high school graduates filed into Sprague Hall on the Yale University campus.  Parents beamed.  City and state officials told the students that the Promise scholarship program was an expression of confidence in their promise for a brighter future.   

Aleaa Bailey  will attend Western Connecticut State University in the fall. "It guarantee a greater education so its less stress on my parents for them to have to pay for school."

She says the program motivated her to work hard during her senior year. "My mom was proud of me that I actually maintained a 3.0 GPA and that I actually got the scholarship. It was like my second scholarship so basically my whole tuition is paid for."

New Haven Promise will be phased in over four years. This year’s scholarship covers a quarter of student’s college tuition.  Eventually, qualified students will be eligible for up to 100% tuition at in-state public colleges and universities. 

But they have to earn it, with at least a 3.0 GPA in high school, 90% attendance and a positive disciplinary record.  Of 370 students who applied this year, 110 met the qualifications and accepted the scholarship.

State Representative Gary Holder-Winfield called it a positive day. "We have a lot of days unfortunately when we’re talking about schools and children that are not positive.  This program is designed to give some push to some students who may or may not be close to doing what they’re supposed to do. There are other things that need to be done, but we have to celebrate the effort to motivate students to well in school and that’s what this program does."

New Haven Promise is funded by Yale University, Wells Fargo and the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.   

For WNPR, I’m Diane Orson.