The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) on Thursday became the first academic partner to formally support the Birmingham Promise scholarship, providing Birmingham City School graduates a historic opportunity to attend the highly-rated university with a one-to-one tuition scholarship match.
Birmingham Promise is Mayor Randall Woodfin’s signature workforce development program — split between apprenticeship and scholarship components — made possible by public-private partnerships with area employers.
The new UAB Birmingham Promise scholarship will be available to students who are admitted to the university as first-time, full-time freshmen in the academic year following high school graduation from a Birmingham City School. The scholarship will cover tuition and may be awarded for up to five years of full-time study at UAB.
In a statement, Woodfin applauded UAB’s tremendous commitment to the local community.
“UAB is one of the largest producers of talent in our state, and it is also Alabama’s largest employer,” the mayor said. “The partnership shows that UAB is invested in developing the hopes, dreams and capabilities of our next generation. UAB’s partnership in the Birmingham Promise is an example of the collaboration we need to make our community more connected and our economy more competitive.”
In order to qualify for the Birmingham Promise scholarship at UAB, Birmingham City School students must:
- Be eligible for UAB admission, which for fall 2020 is a minimum 20 ACT score and a minimum of 2.75 GPA. Learn more about admission requirements at UAB at www.uab.edu/admissions.
- Be admitted to UAB as a first-time, full-time freshman in the fall semester of the academic year immediately following their high school graduation.
- Complete the FAFSA form and UAB application by Feb. 1, 2020. After this year, the deadline will be Dec. 1.
To maintain eligibility, a student must be enrolled at UAB full time and demonstrate progress toward a degree by passing 67% of hours attempted and maintaining a GPA of 2.0 or higher.
In a statement, UAB President Ray Watts commented, “UAB is not just in Birmingham, but for Birmingham.”
“We are committed to supporting access to educational opportunities for Birmingham students, for they will be our city’s future leaders and workforce. In addition, the program directly aligns with the core principles of the University of Alabama System, which is committed to improving the lives and educational opportunities of all citizens of Alabama,” he concluded.
Additionally, a release from UAB outlined, “Providing opportunities for students to receive a world-class, socially conscious education is a pillar of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s strategic plan, Forging the Future.”
More information on how students can receive UAB’s Birmingham Promise scholarship will be released in the coming months.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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