RSU Issues ‘Hillcat Promise’ to Qualifying Freshmen

Rogers State University has announced it will pay all tuition and fees, as well as provide $500 each semester for the next four years toward academic expenses such as books and housing, to all qualifying freshmen next fall.

This is the second year that RSU has offered the “Hillcat Promise” to incoming freshmen.

To qualify for the “Hillcat Promise,” freshmen must participate in the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP) and apply for admission to the university by April 15.

The program will supplement the amount of funding an incoming freshman receives under OHLAP, federal and state financial aid and other scholarships to help them pay for college.

The “Hillcat Promise” is an effort to make the dream of a college education as accessible as possible to Oklahoma families by helping to offset the rising costs of college.

“RSU has always been committed to offering a high-quality, affordable education to the residents of northeast Oklahoma,” Wiley said. “The university is committed to finding a way for all students to attend college, regardless of their ability to pay.”  

To qualify for the “Hillcat Promise,” students must be regularly admitted as an incoming freshman for the fall of 2008, have a composite ACT score of 19 or above, be eligible to receive OHLAP funding and complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and a “Hillcat Promise” application by April 15. Students also must enroll in at least 12 credit hours during the upcoming fall and spring semesters.

To continue to receive financial assistance under the “Hillcat Promise” for the next four years, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress by completing at least 24 credit hours per year (full-time status with at least 12 hours per semester) with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5. They also must continue to remain eligible for OHLAP funding and apply for federal financial aid each year by the required deadline of March 1.

The amount of financial assistance a student receives under the “Hillcat Promise” will be determined by the amount of OHLAP assistance, other federal and state financial aid sources, including Pell Grants, and other scholarships for which they qualify.

The “Hillcat Promise” will be re-evaluated each year to determine whether it will be extended to freshmen participating in OHLAP in subsequent years.

OHLAP, now known by its new name “Oklahoma’s Promise,” is a unique program established by the Oklahoma Legislature to help students in the eighth, ninth and tenth grades pay for college if their family’s annual income is less than $50,000. Students participating in OHLAP must take certain high school classes to help them prepare for college, keep up their grades and stay out of trouble.

For more information on the “Hillcat Promise,” call the RSU Enrollment Center at (918) 343-7545 or 1-800-256-7511.