State Promise Scholarship renewal question - does it automatically apply each semester?
Can anyone explain how State Promise Scholarships work across semesters? My son just started at our state technical college last fall and received a Promise Scholarship along with his Pell Grant and two small local scholarships. We assumed the Promise money was a one-time award because it was fully applied in fall (not split 50/50 like his other aid). But I just checked his spring 2025 account and surprisingly there's ANOTHER Promise award showing up! It's about $430 less than fall because he's taking 9 credits instead of 12, but I was shocked to see it at all. We tried calling financial aid but they're closed until Jan 9th. Do Promise Scholarships automatically renew each semester? So he'll get it twice in the 2024-2025 year? His account now shows he'll have about $580 in excess aid again this semester. I don't want to count on money that might be an error in the system! Has anyone else with a Promise Scholarship had similar experiences?
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Liam Mendez
Yes! Promise Scholarships are generally awarded per semester as long as you maintain the eligibility requirements. They're designed to cover what's left of your tuition and fees after other grants are applied, which is why the amount can vary between semesters based on credit load. My daughter has received Promise funds for 4 consecutive semesters now. Just make sure your son maintains whatever GPA requirement your state has (usually 2.0 or 2.5) and completes the required percentage of attempted credits. Some states also have community service requirements each semester to remain eligible.
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Emily Jackson
•That's so helpful to know! I couldn't find clear info about this on our state's website. Do you know if the excess gets refunded automatically like his Pell Grant did last semester? We weren't expecting any extra funds this spring, so it would be amazing if he gets another refund.
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Sophia Nguyen
promise scholarships are diffrent in every state dont listen to general advice!! in my state u have to reaplly EVERY semster and submit volunteer hours proof. my kid lost it cause we didnt know about the 10hr volunteer requirement PER semester. check ur specific state rules asap
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Emily Jackson
•Oh no, that's concerning. I'll definitely look into our state's specific requirements. I'd hate for him to lose it due to missing some paperwork or service hours. Thanks for the warning!
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Jacob Smithson
Financial aid advisor here. Promise Scholarships vary significantly by state, but most do renew automatically for spring IF your son maintained the eligibility requirements from fall. The amount changes based on: 1. Number of credits (as you noted) 2. Other aid received (Pell, institutional scholarships) 3. Current tuition and fee rates The Promise is typically a "last dollar" scholarship that covers remaining tuition after other grants are applied, which is why it might not be evenly split between semesters like Pell. And yes, if total aid exceeds charges, the excess is refunded to the student. Each college has different disbursement timelines, but it usually happens 2-6 weeks into the term.
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Isabella Brown
•my friend said some states have different rules for summer semesters with the Promise scholarships. is that true?? or does it work the same way year round?
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Jacob Smithson
To answer about summer terms - this is an excellent question that causes a lot of confusion! Most state Promise programs only cover fall and spring semesters. Summer funding is often limited or unavailable through Promise programs. A few states have expanded to cover summer, but it's not standard. Always check with your specific state's Promise program for summer eligibility.
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Emily Jackson
•Thanks for this clarification! We weren't planning on summer classes, but it's good information to have just in case.
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Maya Patel
UGH I HATE the Promise scholarship system!!! My daughter lost hers after the first semester because she dropped a class and fell below the credit requirement. No one warned us this would happen! Then we had to pay $2,200 out of pocket for spring. The whole program is designed to LOOK generous but has so many gotchas to disqualify students. Check EVERY SINGLE REQUIREMENT on your state's higher education website NOW!!
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Liam Mendez
•I'm sorry that happened to your daughter. You're right that the requirements can be strict, but they do vary by state. In our state, students get one probation semester if they fall below requirements. Did you appeal the decision? Sometimes they make exceptions for medical or special circumstances.
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Aiden Rodríguez
Has anyone had issues with their Promise Scholarship not showing up when it should? My daughter's account isn't showing her spring Promise funds yet, and I've been trying to reach someone at the financial aid office for three days with no luck. Keeps going to voicemail and no one returns my calls. Her tuition is due next Friday and I'm getting really worried!
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Emma Garcia
•I had the same problem last semester! I was about to give up after spending hours on hold, but I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to the financial aid office. They basically hold your place in line and call you when a real person answers. I was skeptical but it worked perfectly - got through to a financial aid counselor in about 40 minutes instead of waiting on hold all day. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. For me it was worth it because they fixed my daughter's Promise award the same day once I actually talked to someone.
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Emily Jackson
Update: We finally got through to someone at the financial aid office! It turns out the Promise Scholarship DOES automatically renew each semester as long as students maintain the eligibility requirements. For our state, that's completing at least 67% of attempted credits with a 2.5 GPA, plus 8 hours of community service per semester (which they verify through the student portal). The counselor confirmed my son's excess aid will be refunded about 4 weeks into the spring semester. I'm so relieved and thankful for all your helpful responses!
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Ava Kim
•congrats! free money is the best kind lol. my promise scholarship saved me from taking out loans for 2 years at community college. make sure he doesn't mess up the community service part tho, thats how most people lose it
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Isabella Brown
wait so promise scholarships are different from regular scholarships?? i thought they were the same thing but my financial aid package just lists "state grant" not "promise scholarship" so now im confused if im getting the same thing or something totally different
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Jacob Smithson
•Great question! "Promise Scholarships" are a specific type of state program typically designed to make community college tuition-free by covering what's left after other aid. A "state grant" is likely a different program based on financial need. Check your state's higher education website to see all the programs they offer - many states have both Promise Scholarships AND separate state grants with different eligibility requirements and application processes.
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Sophia Nguyen
random question but does anyone know if you can use promise scholarship money for books and supplies or just tuition??
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Liam Mendez
•In most states, Promise Scholarships are specifically for tuition and mandatory fees only, not books or supplies. But since they free up other aid or reduce what you need to pay out of pocket, they indirectly help with those costs. Some states like Tennessee have expanded their programs to cover more expenses, but that's not the norm yet.
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Aisha Khan
This is such valuable information! I'm a new community college student starting this spring and had no idea Promise Scholarships even existed. After reading through all these comments, I'm definitely going to check if my state has a Promise program. It sounds like it could really help cover what my Pell Grant doesn't. Does anyone know if there's a central website that lists which states have Promise Scholarship programs? I've been trying to figure out all my financial aid options and this seems like something I should have applied for already if it's available in my state.
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