Woodfin Announces Plan for Free College Tuition to City Graduates
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin released details Wednesday of a plan to offer Birmingham City Schools graduates the chance to go to a public two-year or four-year school in Alabama tuition free. This follows a tweet Tuesday evening announcing the program.
Starting in 2020, any Birmingham City School student that walks across the graduation stage will have the opportunity to attend any in-state two or four year school tuition free. #BirminghamPromise
— Randall Woodfin (@randallwoodfin) August 28, 2019
The program is part of the mayor’s Birmingham Promise initiative, a public-private partnership that began with an apprenticeship program for BCS students. Woodfin says the college tuition component is second phase and will be offered to students graduating in the class of 2020 and beyond.
Financial awards will be “last dollar,” meaning they will make up the gap left by other financial aid. Students also must live in the city of Birmingham and attend BCS from kindergarten to 12th grade to receive the full amount. Those attending fewer years will have awards prorated.
In a Facebook Live video, Woodfin says he hears from parents who are worried about paying for their children’s college education.
“I want to make sure they have the opportunity to go and they can afford to stay. This is our way of making sure our children have an opportunity,” Woodfin says.
Woodfin says the city will put up at least $10 million over five years to support the program, with additional money coming from private fundraising. Long term plans call for creating an endowment.
According to data from the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, 32% of BCS graduates in 2017 went to a four-year school and 22% enrolled in a two-year college. That study did not break down attendance by public or private institution.
Photo by Sam McPherson
Can’t-miss interviews: Gavin Newsom, Dave Portnoy and Jason Reynolds
A lot happened this week, and NPR has you covered. Catch up on the big news and culture moments you might have missed.
Minnesota state lawmaker killed, another wounded in targeted shootings
A former Minnesota House speaker and her husband were killed and a state senator and his wife were wounded in targeted shootings early Saturday at their homes near Minneapolis, officials said.
10 years after the deadly church shooting, a new history of ‘Mother Emanuel’
Reporter Kevin Sack's new book is a history of Charleston's Emanuel AME Church, the oldest Black congregation in the South, where a white supremacist killed nine worshippers a decade ago.
In one of the nation’s most polluted communities, Trump terminates funding for air monitoring
Residents in majority-Black north Birmingham have long been subjected to industrial pollution. The new administration has cut funding for a program aimed at measuring the impact.
We’re all going to die. What now? ‘The Life of Chuck’ sits with this question
Tom Hiddleston stars in the new adaptation of Stephen King's novella — which is somehow a very sweet film about the inevitable approach of death.
Tanks and flyovers: Army celebrates its 250th year, Trump celebrates his 79th
The official focus of the parade is the commemoration of the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary. But critics say the president is using the military show of force to push a political agenda and celebrate his birthday, which happens to fall on the same date.
