Panhandle State Students Attend Oklahoma Promise Day

Goodwell, Okla. — Oklahoma Panhandle State University students and staff joined more than 300 students, faculty, and representatives from Oklahoma’s public colleges and universities and other supporters gathered at the state Capitol on April 9, 2019 to show appreciation for the Legislature’s ongoing support of the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship program and encourage legislators to continue to preserve the program’s funding source.

Panhandle State President Dr. Tim Faltyn said, “Oklahoma Promise is an amazing scholarship program that has allowed 85,000 qualified Oklahoma students the opportunity to pursue the promise of their potential through higher education for 25 years now We are so thankful for the continued support that allows these students to achieve their dreams.”

Speakers during the Oklahoma’s Promise Day at the Capitol rally included Dara Derryberry, Oklahoma Deputy Attorney General; State Regent Michael C. Turpen; Chancellor Glen D. Johnson; Sen. Jason Smalley, Oklahoma State Senate; Rep. Jadine Nollan and Rep. Cyndi Munson, Oklahoma House of Representatives; State Chamber Executive Vice President of Government and Political Affairs Mike Jackson; and Oklahoma’s Promise recipient Sarah Kellogg.

Panhandle State student Jerriena Davis said, “I had such a wonderful experience going to the State Capital for Oklahoma’s Promise. It was an eye opening experience, showing me how many Oklahomans not only are able to go to college using Oklahoma’s Promise but how many of those individuals stay in Oklahoma because of the scholarship they were given. I am grateful for our representatives who support this program and help keep it an option for families like mine.”

Formerly known as the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP), Oklahoma’s Promise was created in 1992 by the state Legislature to help more Oklahoma families send their children to college.

Nationally recognized as one of the country’s best college access programs, Oklahoma’s Promise is a transformational model that combines emphases on academic preparation and financial support for college. The scholarship program pays tuition at any Oklahoma public college or university until the student receives a bachelor’s degree or for five years, whichever comes first. It will also cover a portion of tuition at an accredited Oklahoma private institution. The scholarship does not cover the cost of fees, books, or room and board.

Students completing the Oklahoma’s Promise program continue to be successful academically, with high school GPAs that exceed the state average, ACT scores that exceed those of their comparable middle- and lower-income peers, and higher-than-average freshman college GPAs.

For more information about Oklahoma’s Promise, visit www.okpromise.org.