Magnus McFaulds
Lantern Staff
For students graduating from El Dorado High School, the prospect of college may no longer be a scary, financial burden. In August of 2018, City Commissioner Matthew Guthrie introduced the commission to the El Dorado Promise Program. This program will give El Dorado High School graduates, who have attended for two or more years, tuition assistance at Butler Community College.
According to Guthrie, 62 percent of students go on to either two or four-year colleges. The other 38 percent of the students go on to employment, military service or another direction. With a promise program, students who have attended a Butler County school since kindergarten, can receive full tuition assistance. Having a full ride scholarship could mean the 14 percent who go straight in to employment would degrees. Even two years of college can mean a student can possibly gain a higher paying job.
The aim for this program is to increase the workforce within El Dorado for places such as the refinery. If the work force were to increase, there would be more houses, money in businesses and an expected rise to population, according to Guthrie.
“It is for the students that are here now, but it is also designed to attract young parents who value education for their children,” Guthrie said.
With the prospect of cheaper tuition, families living in other counties within Kansas may see this as an opportunity to move their family and spend less on higher education.
Students who attend two year colleges to earn an associate’s degree or general education requirements are more likely to succeed at a four-year college. At Butler Community College, an associate’s degree costs $6,890 – $7,738 depending on the degree. The tuition assistance proposed ranges from 50 percent to 100 percent. Having any amount of assistance can be the difference between getting two years of higher education and going in to a minimum wage job.
Other cities have introduced similar promise programs. Hammond, Indiana offers $10,500 to students whose parents are homeowners in the city. Dyer County, Tennessee offers $675 per year for four semesters for residents of more than three years. Shelby County, Indiana gives last-dollar full tuition scholarship on three high demand degrees in their county. Wichita has a promise program too, covering the full amount of tuition for residents of Sedgwick County for degrees in high demand jobs.
“My program is built with different parts from other programs,” Guthrie said.
Each promise program has similarities, but each have parts to individualize itself from others. This program takes parts from all of them to create a well-structured and unique program.
For El Dorado, according to Guthrie, a promise program would help bring more companies to Butler County and create more jobs throughout the town and in professional areas that Butler Community College offers certificates and degrees. Similarly, there is the hope to increase graduation and admission rates at Butler Community College.
