Neena Satija Photo
Camelle Scott-Mujahid, coordinator for Teach Our Children, asks a question during the taping.
Yes, you need a B Average. But not necessarily every year.
That’s one of many fine points about New Haven’s much-heralded new “Promise” program that got brought to light at a taping of a public-access show.
“Promise” is the new Yale- and Community Foundation-backed program that guarantees a full in-state public college scholarship to every qualifying New Haven public-school student. It’s a cornerstone of New Haven’s ambitious school reform drive.
Just what it means to “qualify” has some people confused. N’Zinga Shäni, host of the public-access show “OneWorld Presents: The Education Agenda,” devoted her latest episode to filling in the gaps. The show was taped this week; it airs on Sunday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. on Comcast Channel 26.
From left, the four guests: Cross parent Pauline Evans, Hillhouse student Gysel Montufar, Cross parent Cathy Gomez, and Adriana Arreola.
Shäni was joined by two public-school parents and one Hillhouse senior who is a Promise scholar, along with a staff member of the scholarship program itself. That staff member, Adriana Arreola, was peppered with questions throughout the hour-long taping about how the program actually works. Some of those queries and their answers are boiled down below.
How do I know if I’m eligible for New Haven Promise?
You need to have spent your four years of public high school in New Haven (including a charter school), and have been a resident of the city of New Haven that whole time, in order to qualify. You also need to have maintained a grade point average of 3.0, a 90 percent attendance record, 40 hours of community service and a clean disciplinary record (meaning no expulsions) by the time you graduate.
What if I had one bad semester when it comes to grades and/or attendance? Does that make me ineligible?
Even if you make below a 3.0 GPA one semester, you can still be eligible — as long as you get your grades up. The 3.0 GPA requirement is an average over 4 years. So if you make a 2.5 your freshman and sophomore years, but a 3.5 your junior and senior years, that averages out to a 3.0 and you can qualify. The same is true for attendance.
There’s also an appeals process for people who applied for the scholarship and are denied. So if you missed more than 10 percent of school days for a legitimate reason —say, a sports injury — it’s possible to be a Promise scholar if you write a letter that goes to an appeals committee. Arreola said around 15 people appealed for Promise scholarships last year; 10 of them were accepted, five denied.
How much money will I get?
This is where it gets complicated. The amount of money you get depends on how long you’ve been a New Haven resident and a public or charter school student in the city, and what type of college you’re going to. It also depends on what grade you’re in right now. Because the program just started, high school seniors this year will get a maximum of 50 percent of tuition covered if they go to an in-state public two-year or four-year college or university. Only people who are in 10th grade or lower could be eligible for 100 percent tuition coverage.
But, that also means that high school seniors this year won’t be evaluated on the same level as freshmen and sophomores. As long as they made an average GPA of 3.0 or higher during their last two years of high school, they can be Promise scholars. Anyone in 10th grade or younger has to keep a B average over all four years.
So if I’m younger than a high school junior, how much money do I get?
That depends on how long you’ve been living in New Haven and attending a public school here in the city. If you’ve been doing both since kindergarten or younger, 100 percent of your college tuition could be covered — as long as you go to an in-state public two-year or four-year college or university. If you’ve only been doing both since ninth grade, you’ll get 65 percent. If you’ve moved into New Haven and/or into New Haven public or charter schools after 9th grade, you’re not eligible for New Haven Promise.
The counting starts on Oct. 1 of this year, though — so technically, if you’re a ninth-grader and move to New Haven and enroll in school before next month, you can still be eligible.
What if I move out of New Haven and come back? Or leave New Haven Public Schools and come back?
Everything gets re-set if you move out and move back in. So if you attended New Haven public (or charter) schools until fifth grade, then moved away for three years, then moved back for high school, the elementary school years don’t count. You can only get 65 percent of the maximum scholarship money.
What about private colleges?
If you attend a private college or university in Connecticut, New Haven Promise gives you at most $2,500 toward the total cost of your education per year. If it’s a private college out-of-state, you can’t get any New Haven Promise money.
What if I have other college scholarships?
You can still get New Haven Promise money if you have other college scholarships. If you already have a scholarship that covers all of your college tuition, Promise will contribute up to $2,500 a year for other costs like fees, room and board.
What if I can’t keep up my GPA when I get to college?
Once you’re in college, you need to maintain a 2.5 grade point average at the end of each year to stay eligible. Arreola will be checking in with you every semester to make sure that’s happening, and if it’s not, she’ll try to get you the help that you need, often by using your college or university’s in-house resources.
What if I want to take time off before or during college? Does that mean I’ll lose the scholarship money?
You can take a maximum of one year off and still be eligible for four years of Promise scholarship money, as long as you keep program staff informed.
How long will Promise money be around? Will it be available for my younger siblings?
Another tough question. The program gets evaluated every year based on how it’s going and how New Haven’s school reform plan is going. Every year that it gets approved, another high school class of students is guaranteed that the program will be around when they graduate — and that the funds will be available to them for four years of their college education. So far, that guarantee is around for students in grades 9 and up.
Montufar and Gomez.
If you get full financial aid at a community college can you still get the full Promise scholarship even if it's not paying tuition? Can you use the Promise scholarship before FAFSA and hold onto your financial aid for when you need it?