Birmingham Promise Scholarship Application Now Officially Open

Birmingham Promise – an initiative providing tuition and mandatory fees for students entering Alabama’s public two-year and four-year colleges and universities – today announced the opening of its scholarship application process for 2020-2021.

In its second year, the scholarship program provides eligible Birmingham City School (BCS) students the monetary assistance needed to attend any two- or four-year college in the state of Alabama.

“We understand that the next steps after high school can be confusing and overwhelming, especially in today’s environment,” said Rachel Harmon, executive director of the Birmingham Promise. “We designed this initiative to remove the financial barrier to postsecondary education and to invest in the next generation of talent.”

Students eligible for the scholarship program must be enrolled in a BCS high school as of Sept. 30, 2020, remain on track to graduate from a BCS high school during the 2020-2021 school year, and plan to begin college courses in Fall 2021.

There is a simple four-step process to complete the application, and students are also required to complete and submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and all admissions and financial requirements for their college of choice. Students must submit their Birmingham Promise application and FAFSA by March 1, 2021, for eligibility.

“The scholarship application was designed to be an easy process,” stated Harmon. “We fully encourage students to begin their application today and to begin all of the other steps to make their college plans a reality.”

In its first class of scholars, the program assisted approximately 500 graduating BCS students in attending college, many of whom are in the first generation of their families to do so.

Applications for the scholarship program are due March 1, 2021, and can be found at https://www.birminghampromise.org. Students may find the FAFSA at https://studentaid.gov.