The Pittsburgh Promise has announced that the class of 2028 will be the final cohort to benefit from this financial assistance.
The Pittsburgh Promise, a scholarship program aiding students in Pittsburgh Public Schools to pursue higher education, is slated to conclude within the next five years
In a communication addressed to families in Pittsburgh Public Schools, The Pittsburgh Promise cited insufficient funding as the reason for discontinuation beyond the class of 2028, making the current eighth-grade students the program’s last beneficiaries.
Established in 2008 with the ambitious aim of supporting an entire generation of students, The Pittsburgh Promise presently possesses $265 million earmarked for the coming years. However, it expresses doubt about securing additional funding from the private sector to sustain its mission in the future.
The class of 2028 will mark the completion of 21 years of The Pittsburgh Promise
This decision was foreseen in the 2015-16 school year. For past recipients like James Hill, the scholarship proved invaluable during his studies at Point Park University. While saddened by its conclusion, Hill emphasizes the positive impact it had on countless children, affirming that change is inevitable.
The Pittsburgh Promise proudly reports that over 11,000 students have received scholarships totaling more than $170 million. Furthermore, their data indicates a commendable 14 percent increase in high school graduation rates from 2011 to 2021.