Although the I Promise public school in Akron, Ohio has gotten the majority of the attention when it comes to LeBron James’ efforts to educate underserved youth in his native Northeast Ohio, the I Promise program dates far back before the I Promise school opened its doors for third and fourth graders in 2018. In fact, the first class of students from the I Promise program are currently juniors in high school and will be graduating soon. But those kids were given an incredible option this week by an Ohio university.
Kent State University surprised a group of students from the I Promise network with four years of free tuition to the school, including one year of free room and board. You can see the moment when kids and parents found out about the scholarships they had earned.
“We are so pleased to take our partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation to this next level and welcome these students fully into the Kent State family,” Kent State President Todd Diacon said in an announcement from the school. “Kent State looks forward to the time when our campus is teeming with I PROMISE students.”
Although this is just the first class of students who have been awarded such scholarships, Kent State indicated that future classes will also have similar opportunities. To be eligible, students must be admitted to Kent State and also fill out required financial aid forms, as well as complete a requirement of community service hours each semester.
The University of Akron also has a scholarship commitment to students in the I Promise network. The first I Promise class is expected to graduate 193 students at the end of the next school year.
