Through the introduction of the Ohio University President’s Opportunity Promise Award, Southeast Ohio students are offered an opportunity to study at Ohio University without heavy tuition costs.
The scholarship, created by OU President Lori Gonzalez Stewart, offers high school students in Athens, Hocking, Meigs, Morgan, Perry, Washington and Vinton counties a way to attend OU tuition-free. The 2024-25 school year was the first school year the scholarship was offered.
Val Miller, assistant vice president and executive director of student financial aid and scholarships, said during the first year of the program, 191 students were offered the award, and 138 of those students enrolled in fall 2024 tuition-free.
Miller also reported 181 students have been offered the scholarship for the upcoming 2025-26 school year as of April 24.
The scholarship played a part in the university being awarded the title of best value public university in Ohio for the fifth year in a row by the U.S. News and World Report. The university was also ranked 26th in the nation for its affordability and quality of education.
In an OHIO Today article, the previous provost of the university, Elizabeth Sayrs, claimed OU has worked hard to maintain these rankings over the years.
“OHIO’s commitment to academic excellence, research and student success is apparent in these rankings and is a testament to the outstanding work our faculty, staff and students are doing every day,” Sayrs said.
According to the Appalachian Regional Commission, the poverty rate in Appalachia is 14.3% compared to the national poverty rate of 11.1%. In addition, the median household income in the Appalachian region is $13,461 less than the national median household income.
Nonetheless, in Appalachia, more than 28.2% of adults aged 25-64 hold a bachelor’s degree, which is 19.3 percentage points less than the nationwide average.
In another OHIO Today article, Gonzalez said the scholarship will provide more accessible education to students in the southeast region.
“I firmly believe that education is the pathway to opportunity,” Gonzalez said. “This new scholarship program will provide increased access to an affordable, high-quality education to countless students in our region.”
To apply, students must have maintained a 3.0 grade point average in high school with a strong college prep curriculum. Submitting ACT or SAT test scores is optional.
Students must submit their admission and scholarship application by the specified deadline; this year, it was extended to April 1.
Completion of the free application for federal student aid is also required by the given deadline. Qualification for the Federal Pell Grant, a financial need-based grant, is required to be eligible for the President’s Scholarship.
To get the scholarship, students must confirm their intent to enroll as a full-time student on the Athens campus by May 1 and continue to complete their FAFSA by the priority deadline each year that they are enrolled.
