PHOENIX — The deadline to guarantee access to the Arizona Promise Program for in-state high school seniors is April 1. The program helps make sure low-income students get their tuition and fees covered at ASU, U of A, and NAU. In order to be eligible, high school seniors must send in their FAFSA, an application for federal student aid by this Tuesday.
If they receive Pell Grants, and have at least a 2.5 GPA, if there's any remaining tuition and fees after aid and scholarships the program will cover the rest. “That is really what determined everything for me to go to college," Alexia Buelna, a former Promise Program recipient said.
She's now a program success story. “I’m currently a recruitment coordinator for Leslie’s [Pool Supplies], I graduated with a dual major in business law and human resources with a minor in fashion." Without the money coming from the state promise program an ASU degree would have been difficult to afford.
“All my family had to figure out was room and board which was a huge weight off our shoulders," Buelna said. Without the degree, she says it's difficult to be qualified for available jobs. “Moving forward I don’t feel stress about if I will qualify for all of these jobs because I have a college degree," Buelna said.
The Arizona Promise Program is funded by the state government, which in 2024 allocated $40 million for Arizona students . Historically, Arizona high school seniors have lagged behind the rest of the country in the percenta.
