Nevada Promise Scholarship Now Accepting Applications
The Nevada Promise Scholarship, which allows students to attend Nevada community colleges at virtually no cost, began accepting applications for its second year.
Last year saw more than 1,300 students become eligible to receive the scholarship and attend the College of Southern Nevada, Great Basin College, Truckee Meadows Community College, or Western Nevada College this fall semester nearly for free.
Established by Governor Sandoval and the Nevada Legislature in 2017 and distributed through Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) institutions, the scholarship covers any remaining mandatory tuition/registration fees after all other forms of aid are applied. The scholarship is available to any Nevada student graduating from high school or completing a high school equivalency in the 2018-19 school year.
To be eligible, a student must complete the application by Oct. 31, attend two training sessions, meet with an assigned mentor, complete 20 hours of community service, complete all financial aid required documentation, including the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), and register for at least 12 credits for the fall 2019 semester.
“Thanks to the Nevada Promise Scholarship the cost of going to college is no longer a barrier for Nevada students,” Chancellor Thom Reilly said. “Last year we saw more than 10 percent of the initial applicants make it through the process. And we hope to see that number grow this year.”
A priority of the Board of Regents is seeing increased student access to higher education, said Chair Kevin J. Page.
“Our goal is to make college accessible for Nevada students who could not see a pathway to higher education,” Page said. “The state’s economic success is dependent on increased participation in post-secondary education and closing the achievement gap among the underserved.”
The Board of Regents in June approved a $3 million budget request from the state legislature to cover the cost of the Nevada Promise Scholarship over the next two fiscal years.
The Promise Scholarship is just the latest way the state legislature and NSHE are working to increase access to higher education for Nevada students, including through the Guinn Millennium Scholarship, the Silver State Opportunity Grant, and campus-based access funds.
