The Stamford Partnership, a public-private non-profit focused on economic and community development, is announcing plans to launch its own Promise Program in Stamford, a popular scholarship program that is currently offered in more than 50 localities across the United States.

Called the Stamford Promise, the program will award scholarships to area students, making higher education a more affordable and achievable goal for Stamford students and their families.

“The Stamford Partnership is excited to help more young people confidently pursue college-level education. Higher education can be difficult to afford and yet is a key determiner of future income and career potential. If our students and their families choose a path that includes higher education, cost alone shouldn’t limit their access and opportunities,” says Executive Director of The Stamford Partnership, Jon Winkel.

Participants who uphold their ‘promise’ receive $5,000 per year towards tuition in pursuit of either a two-year associate degree or a four-year bachelor’s degree. Students who attend public high school in Stamford may qualify for the scholarship if they maintain a 3.5 GPA and a 95% attendance rate, as well as actively participate in community service projects. 

The Stamford Promise is currently forecasted to launch in the summer of 2021 and would be awarded to rising seniors in the fall of that same year. The partnership is forming a committee that will support and lead the Stamford Promise, and is actively seeking philanthropic and family organizations that prioritize access to education to join the effort.

“It’s really exciting to have the Stamford Partnership take on this important work on behalf of the City and bring so many partners and organizations together. College access is a key issue for cities and urban areas, and of course Stamford is no different. Programs like the Stamford Promise will help to ensure that every one of our kids who works hard and wants to attend college will not have cost deter them. I’m excited to support this endeavor and look forward to its impact on this community and our children,” says Dan Dauplaise, Stamford Board of Education Member.

“It’s great to see The Stamford Partnership working to launch a Promise Program in Stamford. Eliminating financial barriers to college entry and retention is critical to our community building a pipeline for Stamford’s youth to obtain college and career success,” says Matthew Quinones, CEO, Stamford Public Education Foundation.

Promise Programs have proved to be successful in the state of Connecticut, including in peer cities Hartford and New Haven. The University of Connecticut (UCONN) is one of the top education partners of these Promise Programs, alongside the state university system of Connecticut, and a similar level of participation is anticipated upon launch of the Stamford Promise.

“UConn is incredibly excited to hear of accelerating progress to the creation of a promise program for students from the city of Stamford. As we have observed from other promise initiatives in the state, their existence has proven effective in increasing college attainment for the communities they serve. The University of Connecticut is at the ready in these early stages of program development, and our Enrollment Planning and Management team is prepared to engage with you to assist as you establish the program and upon doing so, to discuss future partnerships between this exciting new organization and UConn,” says President Thomas Katsouleas, UConn

The Stamford Partnership is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on improving the quality of life for Stamford’s residents, workforce, businesses and stakeholders. Through public-private partnerships, talent development and programs aimed at encouraging innovation, growth and creativity in the region, The Stamford Partnership brings companies, governments, nonprofits and people together to reimagine the future.