Mayor Jenny Durkan took a step toward a campaign promise to support students who graduate from Seattle high schools with two free years of tuition at any of the Seattle colleges.
Durkan, Seattle Colleges Chancellor Shouan Pan and Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Larry Nyland inked a partnership agreement to implement the Seattle Promise Program. The program will roll out over the next year, with all students enrolled in a Seattle public high schools eligible by 2020.
The city estimates the program will cost $1.76 million for the 2018-19 school year, rising to $6.3 million in 2020-21.
The program expands on the 13th Year Promise Scholarship that currently serves three local high schools, doubling the number of participating schools and adding an additional year of support.
The goal is to remove barriers to higher education that is increasingly critical to securing a living-wage job in Washington state. By 2020, 70 percent of jobs in the state will require some kind of post-high school education, but data suggests that only 31 percent of high schoolers in the state go on to receive a post-secondary credential by the age of 26, according to a release by the Mayor’s Office.
Washington state ranks 47th in the nation for college participation.
Ashley Archibald is a Staff Reporter covering local government, policy and equity. Have a story idea? She can be can reached at ashleya (at) realchangenews (dot) org. Twitter @AshleyA_RC
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