Harper College will be closed Tuesday, November 5 in observance of Election Day.
Under the Harper College Promise Scholarship Program every eligible public high school student in Harper's District can earn up to two years of tuition at Harper College if they maintain solid grades, have good attendance, don't repeat classes, graduate on time and provide service to their community.
The Harper College Promise Scholarship Program supports the variety of post-secondary plans that students may be interested in pursuing while attending Harper College, whether career or transfer. Once in attendance at Harper College, Promise students will develop an academic plan to determine what degree or certificate path they want to pursue using the scholarship. Students will base those plans on their individual needs to transfer from Harper College to a four-year university and/or obtain career or technical skills that lead to immediate employment. See the Harper College Catalog.
Yes. A student who graduates early can still qualify. A student who graduates early is encouraged to enroll the semester after graduation, but must enroll at Harper no later than the fall of the academic year following high school graduation.
The Program does offer the opportunity to appeal eligibility determinations in the
event of extraordinary circumstances.
Promise appeals open in late August and must be submitted by September 15.
HIgh School students who do not meet the eligibility requirements will be notified
by mail in late August. The letter from Harper College will include information on
the process for filing an appeal in the event of extraordinary circumstances. Appeals
must be completed in writing using the “Appeal for Extraordinary Circumstances” form
that will be available in late August. Appeals must be submitted by September 15.
Please be advised that Harper provides other scholarships and financial assistance
for students. Please visit Scholarships for more information.
The August letter from Harper notifying you of your Promise status included information on the process for filing an appeal in the event of extraordinary circumstances. Appeals must be completed in writing using the “Appeal for Extraordinary Circumstances” form that was referenced in your notification. Appeals must be submitted by September 15. Please be advised that Harper provides other scholarships and financial assistance for students. Please visit Scholarships for more information.
Yes! Any student enrolled in one of the public high schools in Harper’s District is able to sign up for the program during the first semester of their Freshmen Year in high school. The criteria for the program will remain the same for all students. Students will still be expected to maintain the required GPA, graduate with their class, and graduate high school Harper College ready.
To be eligible for the Harper Promise Scholarship program, students must be enrolled continuously freshman through senior year in and receive a diploma from one of the public high schools in Harper’s district. Students must meet the participation requirements for all four years of high school. Participating districts are:
Unfortunately no. Only students who signed up for the Promise Program by December 15 of the high school freshman/9th grade year are eligible for the Harper College Promise Scholarship Program. Learn about additional scholarship opportunities at Harper College.
Yes. Students must complete the FAFSA in order to be eligible for the Harper College Promise Scholarship Program. The FAFSA is required for a student to qualify for any governmental financial aid for higher education. Learn about how financial aid works with the Promise Scholarship. Other scholarships are available that do not require the FAFSA. Learn about additional scholarship opportunities at Harper College.
Students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at time
of entry to Harper College and prior to beginning subsequent fall semesters at Harper.
Please note that the student must have a Social Security number in order to file a
FAFSA. (Parents are not required to have Social Security numbers in order for their
students to complete the FAFSA.)
Students without Social Security numbers are encouraged to participate in the Promise
Scholarship Program during high school and then to pursue other scholarship opportunities at Harper.
Yes. Each year you attend high school, you are required to complete a recommitment of your participation in the Promise Program. If you are eligible to continue in the Promise Program, you will receive a letter by the end of August with information about how to recommit to the program. Recommitments are due by September 15th each year of high school.
The criteria for the Promise Scholarship were developed by Harper College, area public high schools and northwest suburban business leaders to promote life skills and habits that will help students succeed in college and provide businesses with smart, skilled and motivated employees.
The program starts in the second semester of a student's freshman year in high school. If the student meets attendance, quality, rigor, persistence and community service requirements they can earn up to two years tuition at Harper College.
ATTENDANCE
Students may only miss the following number of days:
Note: Student tardiness is measured in the first period that the student needs to be in attendance. Three instances of tardiness are equivalent to one day of absence.
RIGOR/QUALITY
Graduate from high school college-ready. The annual minimum grade point average (4.0
scale unweighted):
* No semester grades of D or F.
PERSISTENCE
Meet minimum credit standards at the end of each year. That is, a student must be
promoted with their class each year and graduate on time with their class.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Number of hours per year:
Harper College will send a letter to Harper College Promise Scholarship Program students and their parents by the end of August each year to affirm their continued participation in the program or to notify them that they did not meet program criteria and that they are no longer eligible for the Promise Program. The letter will also include information about students' required annual recommitment to the Promise Program.
Attendance is measured in days missed regardless of the reason of the absence. In
accordance with Illinois policy, more than 50% of the day is a day in attendance.
Currently, all days missed count toward the attendance policy with the exception of
the following:
Mental Health Days
College Visit Days
Please note, days must be recorded appropriately with your high school attendance office for them to not count toward the Promise requirement.
For Freshmen - Juniors in high school, community service hours must be completed and recorded by the deadline provided by your high school. This date is usually mid to late July, but exact date is determined by the high school district. (We recommend entering them much earlier so the deadline isn't an issue!)
For Seniors in high school, community service hours must be completed and recorded by May of your senior year. Exact dates set by the high school, but often coincide with the last attendance day for Seniors.
For Harper College students, hours can be recorded starting on the first day of classes for the semester through the Friday before Finals week - exact deadline will be noted in your MyHarper Portal.
Yes. A student who graduates early can still qualify. A student who graduates early is encouraged to enroll the semester after graduation, but must enroll at Harper no later than the fall of the academic year following high school graduation.
Students must begin enrollment at Harper College no later than the fall semester following graduation from high school. A student who graduates early can still qualify. A student who graduates early is encouraged to enroll the semester after graduation, but must enroll at Harper no later than the fall of the academic year following high school graduation.
Summer school leading up to graduation is allowed in the GPA and on-time graduation calculation. Summer school grades are factored into the previous year's GPA. Summer school after the cohort's graduation is not allowed in the calculation of GPA or graduation.
Upon graduation from high school, students must be prepared to enter a college-level sequence of courses at Harper College. Students must be eligible for enrollment in college-level math (MTH101 or higher) AND college-level English (ENG101 or higher) as evidenced by ACT or other college placement criteria in place at Harper College at time of registration.
The Harper College Promise Scholarship Program applies to tuition only at Harper. It covers remaining tuition once Pell and other grants and scholarships have been applied. Promise funds cannot be used for fees, books or other indirect costs, such as transportation, living expenses, etc.
Yes. If a high school student meets the criteria, they will earn the first semester of Harper tuition free. They can continue to attend Harper College tuition free semester by semester up to four semesters (60 credit hours in total), if they meet the following criteria.
RIGOR/QUALITY
Minimum grade point average:
*No grades of D or F.
PERSISTENCE
A student must attend full-time each semester. (minimum 15 credit hours.) A student
must attend each consecutive semester until their certificate or degree is completed
–– up to four semesters. Summer session tuition is not included in the program.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Service requirements may be performed through any organization as long as the student
is not being compensated. Harper will offer many opportunities for students to complete
their hours at Harper College. Number of hours per semester:
Students must meet all program requirements in order to be eligible for the scholarship. Learn about additional scholarship opportunities at Harper College.
No. The Harper College Promise Scholarship Program covers remaining tuition once Pell and other grants and scholarships have been applied. Promise funds cannot be used for fees, books or other indirect costs such as transportation, books, living expenses, etc.
A student must enroll at Harper no later than the fall of the academic year following high school graduation and must maintain full-time continuous status (fall and spring). The student must enroll in a minimum of 15 credit hours per semester, to total no more than 60 credit hours over four semesters.
Yes. The Promise Scholarship will cover all tuition costs for up to 2 years for no more than 60 credit hours as long as the student maintains eligibility. For example, if a student is completing their prerequisites for the first year at the regular tuition rate and is then accepted to a limited enrollment program for their second year at the double tuition rate, the Promise Scholarship will cover all tuition for both years up to 60 credits. If the program continues on into a third year, the Promise Scholarship will no longer apply. Students must begin the Harper Promise program the Fall semester directly after their graduation.
Yes.
If a student resides within the boundaries of D211, D214, or D220 school district but is outside of the boundaries of Harper College, that student may receive a waiver to be charged in-district tuition if they have earned the Promise Scholarship. The waiver will be given on an annual basis (Fall and Spring semester), and the student must maintain Promise eligibility to receive the waiver for a second year. If the student falls out of Promise eligibility, they would be encouraged to pursue the Business EdVantage Program if they wish to remain eligible for In-District tuition.
The Promise Scholarship covers in-district tuition. Students that move out of district will be charged the higher tuition rate, and the Promise Scholarship would cover the in-district portion. The student would be responsible for the difference. Out of district students can qualify for in-district tuition through our Joint Educational Agreements.
Yes. Students may apply for services through our Access and Disability Services office. Students are still required to maintain Promise criteria while at Harper. These include enrolling in 15 credit hours, a minimum GPA, and completing Community Service hours.
No. The way the scholarship works, students will earn the scholarship semester by semester. If the student maintains Promise eligibility in high school, they will earn their tuition for their first semester at Harper. If they maintain all of the Harper Promise requirements through their first semester of Harper, they will earn their tuition for their second semester, with the option to earn up to four semesters. If a student decides to stop coming to Harper or transfer to a different institution, they would not be required to pay back any of the Promise scholarship. In addition, they would not be eligible for Promise in the future, as Promise must be used in consecutive Fall and Spring semesters to maintain eligibility.
If a student withdraws from classes during a Harper Semester, they will be removed from the program with an opportunity to appeal for extraordinary circumstances. Be sure to stay in contact with the Promise Scholarship Manager so you are aware of dates to submit the appeal. The appeal committee would determine if the appeal is granted, and if so, the student would be able to maintain eligibility. If the student is unable to return to the next semester, they must submit an update each semester on their progress to coming back. These situations will be handled on a case by case basis.
The Promise Scholarship will be placed on student's accounts after all financial aid at the college is dispersed. This generally happens in early October for the Fall semester, and early March for the Spring semester. At that time, the student would receive an updated account statement with the scholarship on the account and the fees will become due.
After you register, you will see the Promise Tracker show up in your MyHarper Portal verifying that you are a Promise student. Please allow one day after registering for the tracker to show up.
Under the Harper College Promise Scholarship Program every eligible public high school student in Harper's District can earn up to two years of tuition at Harper College if they maintain solid grades, have good attendance, don't repeat classes, graduate on time and provide service to their community.
The Harper College Promise Scholarship Program supports the variety of post-secondary plans that students may be interested in pursuing while attending Harper College, whether career or transfer. Once in attendance at Harper College, Promise students will develop an academic plan to determine what degree or certificate path they want to pursue using the scholarship. Students will base those plans on their individual needs to transfer from Harper College to a four-year university and/or obtain career or technical skills that lead to immediate employment. See the Harper College Catalog.
The criteria for the Promise Scholarship were developed by Harper College, area public high schools and northwest suburban business leaders to promote life skills and habits that will help students succeed in college and provide businesses with smart, skilled and motivated employees.
The program starts in the second semester of a student's freshman year in high school. If the student meets attendance, quality, rigor, persistence and community service requirements they can earn up to two years tuition at Harper College.
ATTENDANCE
Students may only miss the following number of days:
Note: Student tardiness is measured in the first period that the student needs to be in attendance. Three instances of tardiness are equivalent to one day of absence.
RIGOR/QUALITY
Graduate from high school college-ready. The annual minimum grade point average (4.0
scale unweighted):
PERSISTENCE
Meet minimum credit standards at the end of each year. That is, a student must be
promoted with their class each year and graduate on time with their class.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Number of hours per year:
Through the efforts of Harper College and the Harper College Educational Foundation,
the Harper Promise program is working collaboratively with businesses and the community
to raise funds to support the Promise.
The Harper Promise Scholarship has the potential to change the lives of motivated
students and strengthen our community by making college accessible and affordable
for high school students committed to earning the opportunity and providing quality
academic and training programs for those who are entering the workforce.
Harper established a fundraising goal to raise $10 million dollars by 2019 to support
the Promise program. The Educational Foundation met that goal in the fall of 2017
and is currently working to raise an additional $2 million by June 2018.
Students will never directly receive cash from the Harper College Promise Scholarship. Once other grants and scholarships have been applied and all eligibility requirements have been met, the Harper College Educational Foundation will send funds to cover the remaining cost of tuition.
The Harper College Promise Scholarship Program emphasizes access to higher education in order to build a community and workforce that are competitive in the global economy. At the same time, Promise is about more than just access to college. Promise is about succeeding in college and completing college academic programs on time with a highly valued degree, credential or certification.
Through the efforts of Harper College and the Harper College Educational Foundation,
the Harper Promise program is working collaboratively with businesses and the community
to raise funds to support the Promise.
The Harper Promise Scholarship has the potential to change the lives of motivated
students and strengthen our community by making college accessible and affordable
for high school students committed to earning the opportunity and providing quality
academic and training programs for those who are entering the workforce.
Harper established a fundraising goal to raise $10 million dollars by 2019 to support
the Promise program. The Educational Foundation met that goal in the fall of 2017
and is currently working to raise an additional $2 million by June 2018.
Students will never directly receive cash from the Harper College Promise Scholarship. Once other grants and scholarships have been applied and all eligibility requirements have been met, the Harper College Educational Foundation will send funds to cover the remaining cost of tuition.
No. In order to be eligible, students must be able to complete the FAFSA as well as qualify for in-district tuition. Other scholarships are available that do not require the FAFSA. Learn about additional scholarship opportunities at Harper College.
Learn about additional scholarship opportunities at Harper College.