May 19, 2006

State Board Announces 'Promise A' Scholarship Winners

BOISE -More than 30 Idaho high school seniors are the recipients of the prestigious Robert E. Lee Promise Category A Scholarship.

The State of Idaho sponsors two state-funded scholarships: the Robert E. Lee Promise Category A and Promise B. The $3,000 per year, renewable, Promise A Scholarship is one of the most competitive awards offered in the state both in the criteria and in the number of students who apply. Of the 187 qualified applicants, only 34 were selected based on available state funding. Students must use the scholarship to attend institutions of higher education in Idaho.

The Promise A scholarship is based solely on academic achievement. To apply for the academic scholarship, students must be in the top 10 percent of their graduating class with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and an ACT score of 28 or above. The scholarship also includes awards for professional-technical students. To apply for the professional-technical award, students must earn a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or above and take the COMPASS test (reading, writing, and algebra scores required).  The Promise B is automatically awarded to high school seniors attending an Idaho college or university who have at least a 20 on their ACT or a 3.0 GPA.

“Every student who applies for the Promise A scholarship is exceptional because the academic criteria for which the scholarship is based is very high,” said Laird Stone, State Board of Education President. “It’s exciting to be able to award a scholarship that rewards students who continue their education in Idaho.”

“As the Board continues to look at student’s access to higher education, we will have more dialogue about the need for additional scholarships. With so many qualified applicants, we need to offer more resources to be able to reward student achievement and encourage students to stay in Idaho,” Stone said

Students receiving the scholarship are:

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