Cuesta 170The deadline to apply for the Cuesta College Promise Scholarship is March 2, 2014. The Promise guarantees a fee-free Fall 2014 semester to all newly graduated San Luis Obispo County high school students, whether they come from public or private schools or are home-schooled.

Students have only days left to apply by going onto www.cuesta.edu/student/aboutmoney/cuestapromise/ and filling out the online application. The webpage also contains information on the steps a student must take in order to attain the Promise, along with detailed instructions, timelines and frequently asked questions.

The Promise is already making a difference in the lives of local students.

“I could have not been more excited to learn about the Promise because, coming from a low-income family, any form of college is a challenge to finance,” said Paso Robles High School senior Jennifer Adamson, who is applying for the Promise. “I had planned to attend Cuesta after high school but only part-time so that I could get a job, too. Now I can go full-time and work toward my associate’s degree.”

March 2 is also the deadline for students to apply for all other scholarships offered by the Cuesta College Foundation. Cuesta College’s new online scholarship application system launched this year to encourage more students to apply for the many scholarships available. Last year, the Foundation awarded approximately 162 students with scholarships valued at more than $240,000.

The Cuesta Promise is the result of a generous donation of more than $8 million to the Cuesta College Foundation from the Charles and Leeta Dovica Family Trust. The scholarship endowment will pay in perpetuity for the per unit cost of classes, health fees, Associated Students of Cuesta College fees, materials fees, Student Center fees, and the Student Rep fee. The Promise will save an average full-time student an estimated $626 for their first semester of college. In addition to breaking down financial barriers, the scholarship is designed to improve the college-going rate in SLO County and enhance the quality of the local workforce.

The Cuesta College Foundation was founded in 1973 for the specific and primary purposes of promoting the general welfare of Cuesta College. The Foundation assists and supports Cuesta College in the attainment of educational, scientific and cultural goals and in fulfilling the College’s mission of service to the community. The gift from the Charles and Leeta Dovica Family Trust is the largest in the Foundation’s forty-year history. As the lead entity for resource development for the College, the Foundation has provided millions of dollars for student scholarships, equipment, and programs and projects.