Contact: Kenneth Billings
STARKVILLE, Miss.--As Jeffery Davis began considering his future while nearing graduation at East Central Community College, it seemed there were more questions than answers.
The Louisville native had worked hard to earn good grades at the Decatur institution, but rising tuition costs loomed as he prepared to continue his education in general business administration. "How will I pay?" and "Where will I get help?" were major quandaries.
After a conversation with Marty Friend at Mississippi State, Davis learned of a special program at the university designed to help deserving students in economically challenged situations meet tuition expenses and receive institutional support needed to ensure their continued success.
Friend coordinates MSU's Promise Program. She also teaches in the campus' Learning Center, which helps students improve their academic performance, among other services.
"Money was a big concern and learning about the Promise Awards took a big weight off of me," Davis said.
"Coming from a community college to Mississippi State was a big step and a totally different environment," he continued. "If I had not had the support the program provides, it would have been a struggle."
MSU President Mark E. Keenum said the Promise Program has helped nearly 400 students like Davis since it was created in 2006.
"Financial hardship should never stand in the way of a college education for a student who has shown the drive and dedication to earn good grades," Keenum said.
"The Promise Program is vital to our mission at Mississippi State and helps us ensure that students who are willing to work hard to succeed have the opportunity to achieve their dreams of a college degree," he added.
To qualify, community college transfers must have completed 48 hours of coursework with at least a 2.5 grade-point average (out of 4.0). In addition, they must enroll as full-time students and maintain a 2.5 GPA while making satisfactory progress toward a degree.
Awards will be a student's base tuition amounts in the fall and spring semesters, minus all federal, state, institutional, and other grants or scholarships. Essentially, the program is designed to "bridge the gap" between the cost of tuition after financial aid has been received.
Additionally, Promise provides academic counseling and course-progress monitoring, among other support.
For complete details on MSU's Promise Program, visit www.sfa.msstate.edu/promise.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.