Last updated September 3, 2025

In this article

• What is a Promise Program?
• Where can I find a Promise Program near me?
• Eligibility
• First-dollar vs. last-dollar scholarships

As the cost of college keeps rising, it’s normal to wonder how you’ll pay for it. That’s where Promise Programs can help! These programs offer scholarships to recent high school graduates that cover up to 100% of tuition and fees. Read more about Promise Programs and how to search for a participating college near you!

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What is a Promise Program?

Although Promise Programs vary by state and school, they all share a common mission: to make college more affordable. They were established to cover up to 100% of tuition and fees for eligible students attending college. Promise Program scholarships invest in young people to help them access and succeed in college by removing some of the costs associated with earning a degree. While each program may differ in its structure, requirements, and location, its ultimate goal remains consistent: offering tuition-free opportunities at colleges for local high school graduates within their own communities.

Where can I find a Promise Program near me?

To find a Promise Program in your state or city, check out the College Promise map for a database of over 360 local and statewide programs across the United States. As you explore the map, you can find important information about funding, eligibility, and additional support each participating college provides. In addition, you can easily compare and evaluate programs side by side, helping you find the one that best fits your needs and academic goals.

Eligibility

Eligibility for Promise Program scholarships can vary by state or school, but there are some universal general requirements. All have some type of residency requirements (for example, you must be an Oregon resident to apply for the Oregon Promise Grant), many require a minimum GPA, and some may even request your high school attendance record. Other eligibility requirements may also include:

• FAFSA or state financial aid completion
• Academic merit
• Financial need
• Full-time vs. part-time student status
• Community service
• Living in your state for a certain amount of time after graduation 

First-dollar vs. last-dollar scholarships

In addition to eligibility requirements, make sure to research whether a program is considered a “first-dollar” or “last-dollar” scholarship.

• First-dollar: Promise Scholarship dollars are applied to the tuition bill first, followed by any federal or state financial aid.
• Last-dollar: Promise Scholarship dollars are applied to the tuition bill last, after federal and state financial aid has been fully applied.

With last-dollar scholarships, students may receive less funds than expected, even if they qualify for more. This is because most programs only cover tuition and fees, and if other sources of financial aid (such as scholarships, grants, and loans) have already taken care of these costs, there is essentially “nothing left” for the Promise Scholarship to pay for. This may leave you with unmet aid to cover transportation, school supplies, and other college-related expenses. When possible, try to look for programs in your area that are listed as “first-dollar,” which allow other types of financial aid to help pay for these expenses.

Do you have any questions about college Promise Programs? Connect with a Get Schooled Advisor.

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Last updated September 16, 2025

In this article

• Define your goals
• Form a good working relationship with your academic advisor
• Learn good study habits
• Attend office hours
• Manage your time
• Utilize your school’s resources
• Explore careers
• Get involved in clubs and extracurricular activities

Congratulations on starting community college! With many new things to learn as you transition from high school to college, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed. We’re here to help! Here are some steps you can take to ensure your time at community college is productive and will help you reach your educational and career goals!

Define your goals

What do you hope to get out of community college? What are your academic and professional goals? How will attending community college help you achieve these goals? These are questions you should ask yourself when starting school. Having a clear vision of what you want to accomplish in community college can keep you centered and on track when things feel difficult or overwhelming.

The end goal for attending community college doesn’t need to be transferring to a four-year university. If you know what you want to pursue academically and professionally, and it doesn’t align with attending a four-year university, that’s totally okay. Your journey is your own, and community college is an excellent place to start it.

The most important thing to remember is that any degree you pursue at any college should interest you and have good job prospects once you graduate. If you have doubts about your major or degree path, be sure to talk to your academic advisor or counselor.

Form a good working relationship with your academic advisor

An academic advisor is usually a professor or faculty member that new college students are assigned to. At some schools, it is required that students meet with their advisors regularly (at least once a quarter or semester) to be able to register for classes and progress through their majors. At other schools, meeting with them may be completely optional. Regardless of what your school requires, we highly recommend taking the time to meet with your advisor regularly and form a good working relationship with them! Here are a few ways your academic advisor can support you in college:

• Choose the best classes for your schedule and major
• Register for classes
• Explore majors and programs
• Give you tips to succeed academically
• Connect you to resources on and off campus
• Define your academic and career goals
• Keep you on track to graduate!

It can be intimidating at first to meet with your academic advisor, especially if you’ve never done it before. That’s why we made a list of the best questions to ask your academic advisor to make your time with them productive!

Learn good study habits

You’ve probably heard this before, but students spend a lot of time studying in college. This is why picking up good study habits early is helpful! Read about our best study tips.

Attend office hours

Office hours are hours that professors make themselves available to students outside of class to ask questions, understand difficult concepts, and receive help. Just like your academic advisor, your professors are there to help you learn and succeed, so be sure to reach out when you need help! Showing up to office hours is a good way to make connections with your professors and show them that you want to succeed in their classes.

Manage your time

College students are busy! If you have responsibilities outside of school, like work, extracurricular activities, or taking care of family, it can be helpful to build good time management habits. Read our best tips for planning a productive day here!

Utilize your school’s resources

Colleges usually have plenty of resources available to students to de-stress, have fun, stay healthy, and succeed in their jobs and academics. These resources are typically free, because access to them is covered in your tuition and student fees. Here are a few of the free resources you’ll likely find on your campus:

• Academic success center
• Career center
• Gym(s)
• Health center
• Library
• Student lounge/student union building

Explore careers

There are many career paths to choose from after finishing community college! If you’re unsure of what you want to do professionally after finishing college, talk to someone at your career center. They can walk you through potential career options with your degree as well as connect you to jobs or internships that can give you some valuable job experience in your desired field!

Not ready to head to the career center quite yet? Check out our list of best websites to explore careers!

Get involved in clubs and extracurricular activities

While focusing on your academics takes priority, college is also a place to have fun! There will be plenty of opportunities at your school to try new things and meet new people–in clubs, intramural sports, on-campus events, and more. Stay informed of what’s going on around campus, and if you can, try to attend as many of these events as possible. This is a great way to get a sense of your school’s student life and make some new friends!

Do you have any questions about attending and succeeding in community college? Connect with a Get Schooled Advisor.

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