Celebrate and promote Seattle Promise free tuition program

When Seattle voters approved the Families, Education and Preschool Promise levy in November 2018, it was intended to generate $619 million to help prepare students from pre-K to grade 12 for college. Over the past five years it has done that for many children. The money has increased the number of children in preschool, provided family support services and after-school and summer programs, and expanded the number of school-based health centers. 

But the smallest percentage of the tax dollars — roughly 6% — has also fulfilled the “promise.” That small slice of the levy has gone toward full scholarships for 5,200 Seattle Public School graduates to attend a Seattle community college.

Five years into the free tuition program, Seattle homeowners should feel positive about what the Seattle Promise has been able to do.

About 64% of the Class of 2022 completed the Seattle Promise application. By September of that year, 24% of those who completed the application attended community college classes.

This year, about 1,400 Seattle public school graduates were enrolled in community college; about 920 of those students were from the class of 2022.

Beyond the numbers, the Seattle Promise has helped remove a barrier to academic and financial success that often is predicated on ZIP codes or a family’s wealth. Of those enrolled this year, 70% are students of color. 

Ideally, more students should take advantage of the opportunity. Students learn of the program through their schools, and parents do via emails and text messages. More needs to be done to connect the dots between awareness of the program, the application process and examples of students who have successfully completed two years of college and are now in a four-year program or in the workforce.

At a time when the cost of college is going up and enrollment going down, the Seattle Promise has created an important three-member partnership between the city of Seattle, Seattle Colleges and SPS. Its success should be celebrated.