OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma — On April 11, students and staff members from Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) joined many other supporters at the 32nd Oklahoma’s Promise Day at the state Capitol. The event, organized by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE), served as a platform to celebrate and express gratitude for the continued support of the state’s scholarship program.

Since 1992, Oklahoma’s Promise, created by the state Legislature, has helped ease financial strain for Oklahoma families, making higher education more accessible for students.

Chancellor Allison D. Garrett of the OSRHE said that thanks to the program’s remarkable reach, “more than 110,000 Oklahomans have earned the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship, covering tuition at a time when a college degree and an educated workforce have never been more valuable. We thank Gov. Stitt and our legislators for continuing to keep the promise.”

Chris Snoddy, OCCC’s associate vice president for academic affairs, highlighted the significance of programs like Oklahoma’s Promise in supporting students facing financial hardship and the crucial role the program plays in empowering individuals to achieve their academic and professional aspirations.

“When I was college-aged, a version of Oklahoma’s Promise did not exist, but I’m glad to see that it does today,” said Snoddy.

In the 2022-2023 academic year, 904 OCCC students received the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship. For the 2023-2024 school year, 824 students were recipients, with additional awards anticipated for the upcoming summer term.

Chelsea Welle and Reeva Birkhimer, two recipients of the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship representing OCCC at the event, expressed their gratitude for receiving the scholarship.

“Oklahoma’s Promise really made college possible for me without having a lot of loans,” said Chelsea. She also credited her high school counselor for introducing her to the program.

Reeva, a psychology major with aspirations of becoming a trauma therapist, reflected on her journey to OCCC and the influence of Oklahoma’s Promise on realizing her dreams.

“I always thought about going to college, but as I progressed through high school, I thought that I had to drop my dreams because college was financially impossible,” said Reeva.

However, after learning about the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship program just before the application deadline, Reeva realized that her dreams were within reach, reaffirming her belief in the power of education.

In addition to the speeches, students had the opportunity to engage with Sen. Paul Rosino, Rep. Arturo Alonso-Sandoval and Rep. Jon Echols.

For more information about the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship program, click here.