Harrison D2 students continue to higher education, tuition-free

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Pikes Peak State College (PPSC) celebrated the arrival of 221 Harrison School District 2 (D2) graduates who are continuing their education tuition-free.

The students can attend for free thanks to the D2 Promise Program, which PPSC officials say is the first publicly funded program of its kind in the country.

PPSC officials say the "First Dollar Scholarship" program is paid for up front so that students can use other financial assistance, such as grants or other scholarships, for expenses like food and housing.

"It began with private seed funding from the Dakota Foundation and Legacy Institute, continued through direct support from Harrison School District 2, and now, with voter approval of Ballot Measure 4A, has secured sustainable public funding," read a press release by PPSC.

More than financial help, the program will guide students both on and off campus.

"Sometimes these students, college is not their number one priority. They have other responsibilities, and so it's nice to have a person to lean on to help guide them through what other struggles that might be besides just trying to make it to class on time," says Krista Wallace, director of the program.

For many students, they have personal obligations, for others, they carry the weight of being the first in their family to pursue a higher education.

"I'm first generation, because my parents, they were born and raised in Mexico. And so there aren't many opportunities over there," says Michelle Benitez, a future freshman.

Students will be assigned a coach to help with such obstacles, and the director tells us that this is unique. Unlike other colleges, coaches will help them throughout their entire enrollment. 

"I see it as mentorship and just making sure that we have the best you can give them the best, because a lot of them don't get support from their families," says Dre Guy, a Promise Program advisor.

The director of the programs says it's growing at such a fast rate that they have hired four new coaches in the last couple of weeks to keep up with the coach-to-student ratio.

Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.