High school students in Seattle gain access to two years of free college under Seattle Promise

Seattle, Washington – Offering a road to higher education free of financial load, a transforming educational program called Seattle Promise is changing the future for high school seniors right in the middle of Seattle. Initiated under a joint effort by Seattle Colleges, Seattle Public Schools, and the Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) of the City of Seattle, this project is a direct outcome from the Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) Levy approved in 2018.

At Seattle Colleges, Seattle Promise captures a strong offer of up to two years or 90 credits of tuition-free education. Apart from the financial support, the program sets itself apart by offering equitable scholarships and committed student counseling, therefore assuring that the scholars not only enroll but also achieve in their academic endeavors.

Starting as early as junior year of high school, student advising is pillar of the program. This procedure depends much on outreach professionals such as Aurelio Valdez Barajas. Stationed at Roosevelt, Lincoln, and Nathan Hale High Schools in north Seattle, Valdez Barajas supervises over 600 students, guiding them toward realizing their potential through further education.

The dedication of Valdez Barajas goes beyond simple guidance. Many of which he and his family once navigated, he represents a bridge across the turbulent seas of educational challenges.

“Sharing these struggles and being in solidarity together encourages the work that I really do. It brings meaning and purpose, healing everything that was for myself growing up as well as [for] my family. I am making sure that the generations after me and the generations that I’m supporting as well don’t have the same barriers in education,” he shares.

Valdez Barajas is only one of the hands-on help sources. Together, a committed group of Promise retention, financial aid, and outreach experts helps students throughout Seattle. On high school campuses, they interact directly with students to support financial aid seminars, offer customized application help, and guarantee scholars have access to necessary tools. Under the Seattle Promise initiative, this all-encompassing support structure is absolutely essential for kids to travel from high school to college.

The DEEL Annual Report provides a comprehensive look of the impact of the Seattle Promise program for the 2022–23 academic year for individuals eager in learning more about the inspirational stories of students and advisers such as Valdez Barajas. Especially remarkable is the narrative on page 40 of the study, which shows how low-income and first-generation students are being allowed to alter their paths in life via education.

More than just a scholarship program, Seattle Promise is a community effort meant to stop the cycle of educational disparity and produce a new generation of leaders and inventors right here in Seattle.

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