Seniors FAQ

Students can use the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship at career technology centers but there are some conditions depending on your high school curriculum path.

1. For students completing the OKPromise/college admission 15-unit curriculum, the scholarship will cover at least a portion of tuition for certain programs that meet the requirements to be eligible for federal financial aid offered at an Oklahoma public technology center. The scholarship will transfer to a college or university if the student chooses to pursue that track for their education.
2. For students completing the CORE HS graduation requirements, the scholarship will cover at least a portion of tuition for certain programs that meet the requirements to be eligible for federal financial aid offered at an Oklahoma public technology center. The scholarship is only available to be used at career technology centers and is not transferable to a college or university.

If you have moved and are graduating from a different high school than where you were when you enrolled in Oklahoma’s Promise, you will want to check with your counselor or the Oklahoma's Promise office to be sure that we have the correct school on file for you. It is also very important that you go over your course work to make sure that you have met all of the requirements of the program. You may want to use the Oklahoma's Promise Curriculum Worksheet (PDF, 54k) to record your grades and make sure you have taken the required courses. After October 1 of your senior year, you will need to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Please refer to the question, “Am I required to complete an application for federal financial aid (FAFSA) each year in college?” for more information. Oklahoma’s Promise sends the final paperwork to the high school contact person at the end of April each year. After final grades are posted, the school will complete the Oklahoma's Promise Program Verification form and mail it to our office with a copy of your final transcript. (Keep in mind that your school may have to prepare these documents for a large number of students, so this may take some time.)

Yes, all Oklahoma's Promise students must complete the FAFSA each year they are enrolled in college or a technology center. The information from the FAFSA will be used to determine whether or not your parent's federal adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds $100,000 (or your income if you are officially determined to be financially independent of your parents). For any year that the income exceeds $100,000, you will not be eligible to receive the program benefits. Any year that the student does not receive the award because their income exceeds the income limit will count toward the five-year period of scholarship eligibility. It's also important to remember that Oklahoma's Promise will only pay for a portion of your total college costs, and you will need additional money to help pay for your education. The FAFSA is the best place to start. Also see the question below "How does the second income limit work?"

Prior to receiving any program benefit in college, the federal adjusted gross income (AGI) of the student's parents (or the income of the student if the student is officially determined to be financially independent of their parents) may not exceed $100,000. Each year in college Oklahoma's Promise students will be required to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which will be used to determine whether the federal adjusted gross income exceeds $100,000. For any year that the income exceeds $100,000, the student will not be eligible to receive the program benefit.  Any year that the student does not receive the award because their income exceeds the income limit will count toward the five–year period of scholarship eligibility.

Upon receiving the final paperwork from your school, the Oklahoma's Promise office will evaluate your transcript and notify you in writing. Our goal is to notify you within two weeks of receiving the final paperwork however, due to the large number of graduating Oklahoma's Promise seniors each year, it may take a little longer. We will be working as fast as we can. You may receive your award letter prior to us checking the second income limit. If you receive your award letter and have successfully filed the FAFSA and the college cannot verify your eligibility, you should contact the Oklahoma’s Promise office to be sure we have the correct Social Security number (SSN) on file for you.

In 2007 the Oklahoma Legislature passed major legislation creating a dedicated funding process for Oklahoma's Promise. This law allows Oklahoma's Promise to be funded "off the top" from the state's General Revenue Fund each year. This legislation helps ensure that the program will be fully funded each year from a stable source of revenue

Keep in mind that we do not know where you are planning to attend college, so it will be up to you to let the college or university know that you are an Oklahoma's Promise student (If you complete the Oklahoma's Promise high school requirements, you will receive more information in your award letter packet.). The colleges and universities have electronic access to verify your eligibility; however, it will not show up to them until the transcripts are processed in the Oklahoma’s Promise office and the second income limit has been checked. This is going on throughout the summer. If you have received your award letter and have successfully filed the FAFSA and the college cannot verify your eligibility, you should contact the Oklahoma's Promise office to be sure we have the correct Social Security number (SSN) on file for you.

The Oklahoma’s Promise award will not pay for remedial courses for which the student does not earn college academic credit (often referred to as “zero-level” courses).

Yes. Though you cannot receive the Oklahoma's Promise award for courses taken at an out-of-state college, you can receive the award if you later return to Oklahoma for college. However, your five years of eligibility will begin with your first semester of postsecondary education whether you receive Oklahoma's Promise or not. For example, if you start at an out-of-state university the fall semester following high school graduation, your five years begins then. If you stay there for a year and come back to Oklahoma the next fall, you will have only four years left of Oklahoma's Promise eligibility, or until the completion of your bachelor's degree, whichever comes first. If all of your out-of-state credits transfer back to your Oklahoma college, you should still have time to complete your degree. When you transfer back to Oklahoma, you will need to notify the financial aid or scholarship office at the college you plan to attend that you are an Oklahoma's Promise student and send a copy of your transcript to the Oklahoma's Promise office.

No. Please keep in mind that this letter is only “preliminary.” The scholarship is not certain until your eligibility is confirmed by the State Regents’ office. In addition, the amount is estimated and could change depending on the final number of semester hours in which you are enrolled and the tuition in effect at the time you start college. The letter is provided as a service to help you understand your financial aid.

The amount of your Oklahoma's Promise award depends on which college, university or technology center you will be attending and the number of semester credit hours in which you enroll. Oklahoma's Promise pays tuition at public colleges and universities for the actual number of semester credit hours you take. It will also pay a portion of tuition at accredited private colleges and universities or for approved programs at public technology centers supervised by the Oklahoma State Board of Career and Technology Education. Programs must meet the requirements to be eligible for federal student financial aid.

In order for the institutions to get an accurate amount for your Oklahoma's Promise award, they must know the final number of hours you are enrolled in for the semester. They will bill the Oklahoma's Promise office sometime after the first drop/add period, which is usually about two weeks after the semester begins. However, if you have total financial aid that exceeds your total cost of attendance, then your Oklahoma's Promise award may be reduced or eliminated. It is possible to receive the Oklahoma's Promise award in the future if your financial aid status changes.

Yes. Oklahoma's Promise is considered a “cash” scholarship rather than a tuition “waiver”. The award amount is always calculated based on the amount of actual tuition. If you have a tuition waiver or another scholarship that must be applied to tuition, Oklahoma's Promise can be applied elsewhere in your total cost of attendance. (Some schools call this your financial aid budget.) However, if you have total financial aid that exceeds your total cost of attendance, then your Oklahoma's Promise award may be reduced or eliminated. It is possible to receive the Oklahoma's Promise award in the future if your financial aid status changes. Note: “Cost of attendance” includes tuition, fees, room, board, books and supplies.

No. A student has three years from the time of high school graduation to start taking postsecondary courses. There are limited exceptions for students on active military duty.

1. Five-Year Limit: The student may receive awards for no more than five consecutive years after enrolling in postsecondary education. (There are limited exceptions for students on active military duty.)
2. Bachelor Degree Limit: Awards cannot be used for courses taken after completion of a bachelor's degree. The student's scholarship eligibility ends at the time the bachelor's degree is completed, whether or not the five-year limit has been reached.
3. 129-Semester-Credit-Hour Limit: OK Promise students graduating high school in 2018 and thereafter may not receive total award payments for more than 129 semester credit hours during their five years of scholarship eligibility, unless their degree program requires more hours*. The 129-credit-hour total is based on hours that are “paid” by OKPromise funds. Therefore, concurrent courses, AP credits, hours transferred in from out-of-state and remedial courses are not counted in this calculated total. Once the student reaches the 129-credit-hour limit, the student is no longer eligible for the scholarship, even if they have not completed their bachelor's degree (unless the degree requires more than 129 credit hours).

   *Only the required credit hours for a single degree will be considered. The 129-credit-hour limit will not be extended due to the student changing degree programs, seeking an additional major or minor, pursuing more than one bachelor's degree, etc.

See the Scholarship Conditions page and the FAQs for College Students.