Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 5, 2000
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Locke honors Promise Scholarship winners at Eastern Washington University

CHENEY - Gov. Gary Locke today honored 256 Washington Promise Scholarship winners selecting Eastern Washington University as their first choice for college.

The students were chosen by academic performance and financial need and were honored at a reception today.

"I proposed the Promise Scholarships because I believe that students showing promise deserve a promise from the state," Locke said.

"And I believe that if a student has a strong academic record - and comes from a low- or middle-income family - that student deserves to pursue the American Dream of a college education and receive a two-year scholarship from the state to make that dream a reality," he added.

Dr. Stephen M. Jordan, president of EWU, said, "It is already clear that establishing the Washington Promise Scholarship has been an important public policy decision by the governor and Legislature in terms of improving access to higher education for the students of our state."

Locke noted approximately 5,700 Washington students have received Promise Scholarships since the program was established in 1999.

"It is my dream that someday - and someday soon - no high-achieving student will be blocked from pursuing a higher education because of financial burden," Locke said.

This year, students are eligible to receive up to $1,542 from the Promise Scholarship program. That is worth more than 90 percent of resident tuition for one year at a state community college.


Approximately 2,150 students from the class of 1999 will receive their second and final award this year at Washington colleges. Approximately 3,450 from the class of 2000 are eligible to receive them.

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