New Knox Promise available to Central Ohio Technical College students
Several Central Technical College board members, the Ariel Foundation, and the Knox County Foundation have set up the Knox Promise which will pay for the tuition of COTC students who file a FAFSA form with a family income below $60,000, and meet several other eligibility qualifications.
Central Ohio Technical College has recently unveiled what they are calling the “Knox Promise.” The Promise is the promise of free college to students in the county who are eligible based on COTC’s criteria. While not offering full rides through the Knox Promise, COTC is looking to cover the gap between financial aid awarded to a particular student, and their remaining financial need.
The Knox Promise was made possible through funding from the Ariel Foundation, the Knox County Foundation, and past and present board members of COTC.
Students who wish to qualify for the Knox Promise must have lived in Knox county for at least a year and filled out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid form. The school also lists other eligibility qualifications on their website. Attendance of the Knox campus is not necessary; any of COTC’s four campuses apply.
The President of Central Ohio Technical College, Dr. John M. Berry, spoke to the Newark Advocate about the importance of the Knox Promise for the community: “This investment in the future of our community is an investment in our neighbors, children and friends.”
Also speaking with the Newark Advocate was Executive Director of the Ariel Foundation, Jen Odenweller, who said, “COTC’s Knox Promise will provide an economic pipeline for local workforce development.” In line with Odenweller’s comments were those of Jeffrey Scott, the Executive Director of the Knox County Foundation: “The Knox Promise will not only help individuals build strong futures, it will help build a stronger future for all of Knox County.”
Central Ohio Technical College is fully accredited based on the standards of the Higher Learning Commission, in addition to several other agencies across the many academic disciplines that the school offers.
Students who report a yearly family income below $60,000 on their most recent FAFSA will have all of their tuition covered by the Knox Promise. The Knox Promise will begin in the Fall 2022 semester which starts in late August. Both new and existing students will be eligible to receive the Knox Promise.