Keeping a Promise
A closer look into the Kansas Promise Scholarship Act
Photos & Story | Mason Poepperling
One of the harshest realities of college is that education costs money. For some at Hutchinson Community College who want to enter the technical field, even with all available aid, the cost of tuition, books and fees can be too great for them to handle. This is where the newly implemented Kansas Promise Scholarship Act comes into play. The Promise Act, put in place by the Kansas Board of Regents, provides scholarships to any student who qualifies so they can attend a post-secondary institution for a two-year associate degree program, career and technical certificate, or stand alone program as recognized by the board. To further explain what this all means, Carolyn Parson, HutchCC’s Kansas Promise Act Coordinator, dives
into what type of student qualifies and how this scholarship helps on their education journey. “Primarily, this program is designed to help students gain specific information in specific areas because one of the things with businesses we’re noticing is that it’s difficult to find a skilled labor force. So the purpose of the program is to have a skilled labor force,” Parson said. Currently, the Kansas Promise Act is only available to students who are Kansas residents aged 21 or older. However, in Jan. 2022, KBOR will meet again to discuss possible changes to the act, including reducing the age limit to make it more accessible to those who have recently graduated from high school. “Right now there’s a gap from high school to 21, so what we think the legislatures will look at is how can we
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