Sandburg Announces Promise Program That Could Pay Up to 100% of Tuition for M-R, United Grads
Aaron Frey
Wednesday, May 2, 2018 5:01 PM
Campus News
Galesburg, IL
Carl Sandburg College on Wednesday announced a new promise scholarship opportunity for Monmouth-Roseville High School and United High School students that could pay up to 100 percent of their tuition at Sandburg.
The Walter & Rose Sampson Promise will pay up to 16 credits of tuition per semester for as many as 64 credit hours that will result in a degree or certificate from Sandburg. The new program, similar in structure to the Galesburg Promise that was introduced in 2014 for students in Galesburg District 205, was announced at a news conference Wednesday at the Warren County History Museum in Monmouth.
“Promise programs are game-changers for communities, families and students who are a part of them. They create an incentive for families living in the community, even if one or both parents live in a different town or city,” Sandburg President Dr. Lori Sundberg said. “At the same time, they help build a skilled workforce because those students who pursue career and technical programs are more likely to stay in the region. The Sampson Promise program will forever touch the life of every family whose children attend United or Monmouth-Roseville by providing for a free, two-year college degree.”
The program was made possible thanks to a $4.2 million gift from the estate of Walter Sampson — the second-largest in Sandburg history — as well as contributions from the Pattee Foundation, Twomey Foundation, United School District Foundation, Monmouth-Roseville Education Foundation and many others.
“The College saw this gift as an opportunity to include and support Warren County in a much bigger way than we had before, but we also saw it as a potential to impact every family who has children in the two school districts, forever,” Sundberg said. “Walt made a lasting and life-changing contribution that allowed the College to do the same thing for the students of United and Monmouth-Roseville schools.”
Under the Sampson Promise, a student’s financial benefit will be based on their length of attendance at any school in the Monmouth-Roseville or United districts (including home-schooled students), based on the following scale:
13 grades (K-12).... 100%
12 grades................. 95%
11 grades................. 90%
10 grades................. 85%
9 grades................... 80%
8 grades................... 75%
7 grades................... 70%
6 grades................... 65%
5 grades................... 60%
4 grades................... 55%
3 grades................... 50%
Fewer than 3 grades.. 0%
“Due to the generosity of the Walter and Rose Sampson family and many other caring individuals, our students now truly have no excuse not to attend Carl Sandburg,” Monmouth-Roseville Superintendent Ed Fletcher said. “Our students now only need the drive to succeed, some perseverance and hard work. The excuse of not having money to attend college is gone with the wind. This program is a real game-changer for our students, and I hope many of them take advantage of this opportunity to attend Carl Sandburg.”
“Forty-two percent of our graduating class this year will be attending Carl Sandburg College,” United Superintendent Jeff Whitsitt said. “I’m guessing that number is going to start going up. Having a child of my own that has graduated from Carl Sandburg College, it holds a special place for me personally but for all the students in Warren County, too. It is our community college.”
Students in the high school Class of 2019 will be the first eligible for the Sampson Promise. Students can apply for the program Oct. 1-Feb. 15 of their senior year. Awards will be made on a first-come, first-served basis upon receipt of the Sampson Promise application. Students also must apply for federal and state financial aid, and any financial aid and/or other scholarships will be applied before Sampson Promise funds cover the remaining percentage of tuition.
Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA and complete 67 percent of their classes with a passing grade to remain eligible. Students may apply annually for a total of three years of funding toward a degree or certificate or for a maximum of 64 credit hours, whichever comes first.
For more information about the Walter & Rose Sampson Promise, contact the Carl Sandburg College Welcome Center at 309.345.3500 or welcomecenter@sandburg.edu.