The city of Newark is launching a $1 million promise, giving 40 students the opportunity to attend a four-year university, debt-free. It’s the first class for a pilot program that will pay the way for their bachelor’s degrees. The program covers tuition, and room and board. Parents, teachers and mentors gathered at City Hall on Monday to celebrate the students’ acceptance into Saint Elizabeth University under the program.
To be eligible, students must be a Newark resident, have a cumulative grade point average between 1.8 and 2.5, and must choose an academic focus in social work, psychology, education, or nursing. The program is focused on at-risk students, including those who have an incarcerated parent, or one who was recently released from jail, or who has lost a parent or sibling to violence.
“I told everybody, because I work in a salon, I told everyone, ‘Hey I got into college, y’all, I got a scholarship,’ I was just so excited … I would have never said I was going to college. I saw this opportunity and my mindset changed,” said student Nicol Rodriguez.
