Seven Oklahoma high schools have been named “Oklahoma’s Promise 2023 State Champions,” leading the state in the number of graduates who met the requirements to receive an Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship. Oklahoma’s Promise is a state program that provides an opportunity for students to earn a tuition scholarship for college or certain programs at public career technology centers.
“The Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship is transformational, helping students across the state achieve the dream of a college education,” said Chancellor Allison D. Garrett. “The State Regents and I commend these seven Oklahoma high schools for their exceptional work encouraging and supporting their students’ participation as they aspire to become our state’s future degreed workforce.”
High schools named Oklahoma’s Promise 2023 State Champions are:
Class B
- Champion: Boswell, with 13 Oklahoma’s Promise graduates.
- Runner-up: Indiahoma, with 12 Oklahoma’s Promise graduates.
Class A
- Champion: Gore, with 16 Oklahoma’s Promise graduates.
- Runner-up: Carnegie, with 13 Oklahoma’s Promise graduates.
Class 2A
- Champion: Santa Fe South Pathways Middle College (Oklahoma City) with 31 Oklahoma’s Promise graduates.
- Runner-up: Coalgate, with 21 Oklahoma’s Promise graduates.
Class 3A
- Champion: Dove Science Academy (Oklahoma City), with 39 Oklahoma’s Promise graduates. This is Dove Science Academy’s 13th championship.
- Runner-up: Atoka, with 28 Oklahoma’s Promise graduates.
Class 4A
- Champion: Harding Charter Prep (Oklahoma City), with 43 Oklahoma’s Promise graduates.
- Runner-up: Elk City, with 41 Oklahoma’s Promise graduates.
Class 5A
- Champion: Santa Fe South (Oklahoma City), with 80 Oklahoma’s Promise graduates. This is Santa Fe South’s 15th consecutive year as champion.
- Runner-up: Will Rogers High School (Tulsa), with 60 Oklahoma’s Promise graduates.
Class 6A
- Champion: Union (Tulsa), with 175 Oklahoma’s Promise graduates. Union has been the Class 6A champion for 12 consecutive years.
- Runner-up: Broken Arrow, with 162 Oklahoma’s Promise graduates.
Students must enroll in Oklahoma’s Promise in the 8th, 9th, 10th or 11th grade. Family income may not exceed the following levels at the time of application: $60,000 for families with 1-2 dependent children; $70,000, 3-4 dependent children; or $80,000, 5 or more dependent children.
Recognized as one of the top college access scholarship programs in the nation, Oklahoma’s Promise was created in 1992 by the Legislature to help more Oklahoma families send their children to college. The scholarship pays tuition at any Oklahoma public college or university until the student receives a bachelor’s degree or for up to five years, whichever comes first. It will also cover a portion of tuition at an accredited Oklahoma private institution or public career technology center. The scholarship does not cover the cost of fees, books, or room and board.
To receive the scholarship upon high school graduation, students must achieve a minimum 2.50 GPA in 17 core courses that prepare them for college and an overall GPA of 2.50 or better for all courses in grades nine through 12. Oklahoma’s Promise graduates also must attend class regularly, stay out of serious trouble, and avoid drugs and alcohol. A student’s family income must not exceed $100,000 each year the student is enrolled in college.
Students completing the Oklahoma’s Promise program continue to be successful academically, with high school GPAs (3.48 average GPA) that exceed the state average and ACT scores that exceed those of non-Oklahoma’s Promise students. The college-going rate of Oklahoma’s Promise students exceeds the state average for high school graduates. They also have above-average full-time college enrollment, persistence and degree-completion rates. In addition, Oklahoma’s Promise college graduates are employed and stay in Oklahoma after college at a higher rate than non-Oklahoma’s Promise graduates.
In order to receive the scholarship in college, students must be U.S. citizens or lawfully present in the United States by the time they begin college.
For the high school graduating class of 2023, over 7,000 students met the requirements to be eligible for the scholarship. During the current 2023-24 year, over 14,300 students are expected to receive the scholarship in college. For more information about Oklahoma’s Promise or to apply online, visit www.okpromise.org. Information is also available by emailing okpromise@osrhe.edu or by calling 800-858-1840.