Mayor Durkan, Seattle Colleges and Seattle Public Schools Sign Seattle Promise Partnership
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan signed an official partnership agreement with Seattle Colleges and Seattle Public Schools at Ingraham High School on March 7, 2018. The agreement formalizes a collaborative partnership to implement the Seattle Promise Tuition Program, which will create opportunity for all Seattle Public School high school students enrolled in the Fall of 2019 to become eligible for two years of tuition-free college at any of the Seattle Colleges (South Seattle College, North Seattle College and Seattle Central College).
South Seattle College’s 13th Year Promise Scholarship, which started providing one year of tuition-free college to graduates from area high schools in 2008, is a main inspiration for Seattle Promise.
South student and 13th Year Scholarship recipient Rony Nunez kicked off the event by speaking about his personal educational journey, and introducing Mayor Durkan before the official signing. Nunez, who is originally from Guatemala, kickstarted his college education at South thanks to the scholarship, and now works as a Peer Mentor for current 13th Year scholars on-campus.
“This partnership is a critical step towards creating an affordable future for the next generation,” said Mayor Durkan. “Barriers to college often span generations, and for too long have held back communities of color, immigrants, and refugees. Seattle Promise will open doors and change the lives of our young people by creating true economic opportunity for Seattle students.”
Read more about the signing event and Seattle Promise details at Mayor Durkan’s website.