WSU President Hails Governor’s Washington Promise Scholarship Program

PULLMAN, Wash. — The Washington Promise Scholarship program, signed into law Friday,
May 14, by Gov. Gary Locke, is a “wonderful” boost for students who will be educated, work and
be leaders in the next century, said WSU President Samuel Smith.
“I’m thankful to the governor for including this program in his legislative budget, and for the
Legislature’s support of it. Access to higher education by high school students is vital to the
state’s success in the years to come. Thanks to this program, I’m encouraged that some
additional outstanding students will likely have the opportunity to begin attending WSU in
Pullman this fall,” he said.
According to the governor, the new scholarship program will provide scholarships of about
$3,000 — about $1,500 a year for two years — to more than 4,200 state of Washington high school
students in middle-income families. Starting with this year’s graduating high school seniors,
Washington Promise Scholarships will be available to high-achieving students in the top 10
percent of high school senior classes. In the 1999-2000 school year, seniors in the top 15 percent
will be eligible.
For information about Washington Promise Scholarships, contact the state of Washington
Higher Education Coordinating Board in Olympia at 360/753-7801. For information about other
scholarship and grant programs, contact Carla Caballero-Jackson, assistant director, WSU
Scholarship Services, 509/335-1059.
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