New BSU scholarship aimed at high-achieving, low-income students
Boise State University made a “True Blue Promise” on Thursday to low-income freshmen coming to the university beginning this fall: Come with a high-performance academic record from high school, and you’ll get $2,000 a year for up to four years to help defray college expenses.
What difference will that make? Combined with the maximum federal Pell Grant for low-income students of $5,775, the True Blue Promise could cover the cost of tuition at Boise State University, Bob Kustra, BSU president, said. “It can make the difference between having a college degree and not.”
Full-time in-state undergraduate tuition at BSU is $6,876 annually. Officials estimated between 100 and 150 students would qualify for the aid.
How it works? The True Blue Promise scholarship will begin with freshmen in fall 2016. To receive the scholarship, students must be Idaho residents, qualify for a federal Pell Grant based on financial need, have a 3.3 grade-point average coming out of high school and score at least 25 on the ACT or 1130 on the SAT. Students must maintain a 3.0 grade-point average at Boise State and must show financial need to continue to receive the scholarship in subsequent years.
How do I apply? Scholarships are awarded automatically based on information provided to the university on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by Feb. 15.
Where will the money come from? About $800,000 will come from the university. Half of that will be from scholarships that had been handed out through various departments under a variety requirements. Many were for a single year only. Students currently receiving those previous scholarships will continue to get them until the commitment is completed. The other half comes from money the university has received and dedicated to the scholarship. Lastly, the university will draw as needed on a $21 million scholarship fund it has raised through donations. The university will continue to seek financial support for that fund.
Bill Roberts: 208-377-6408, @IDS_BillRoberts
This story was originally published December 17, 2015 at 1:15 PM with the headline "New BSU scholarship aimed at high-achieving, low-income students."