Scholarships, Requirements and Benefits
New Haven Promise manages three types of scholarships:
New Haven Promise Scholarship
The premiere merit scholarship supporting Scholars at both in-state and out-of-state colleges.
Eligibility and Requirements
- Student must apply during the high school senior year between Oct 1 and Dec 23 at app.newhavenpromise.org. See How To Apply
- Must be a New Haven resident* AND attend New Haven Public Schools or approved charter schools CONTINUOUSLY from the beginning of 9th grade through 12th grade graduation.
*Student and parent/guardian must physically live in the city of New Haven for at least the entire high school career.
- Have a cumulative 3.0 weighted GPA or higher upon high school graduation.
- Miss no more than 72 days in high school, including excused and unexcused. (90% attendance record)
- Complete 40 Promise-approved community service hours and log them on Servo.city portal by April 1 of the student’s senior year. Check out the Service Requirements.
- Maintain a positive disciplinary record (no expulsions) and earn a high school diploma.
Benefits for Scholars at in-state colleges
To activate your scholarship, you must register full-time (at least 12 credit hours) at one of the Connecticut Colleges and Universities.
Starting High School Graduating Class of 2024:
| University/College | Promise Award * | University Match ** |
| University of Connecticut | up to $15,000/year | $5,000/year |
| Eastern CT State University | up to $8,500/year | $5,000/year |
| Southern CT State University | up to $8,500/year | $3,000/year |
| Central & Western CT State University | up to $8,500/year | NA |
| CT State Community College | up to $3,000/year | NA |
| Albertus Magnus, Quinnipiac, University of Bridgeport, University of New Haven | up to $5,000/year | $25,000/year |
| Other Private Universities in CT | up to $5,000/year | NA |
* Based on length of residency, enrollment and the federal Pell grant.
* New Haven Promise pays up to 2 years (4 semesters) at CT State Community College and up to 4 years (8 semesters) at a four-year college.
** University match cannot be combined with other grants offered by the university. Terms apply. It typically requires FAFSA completion by February 15 of your senior year and immediate matriculation after high school graduation. University match won’t follow you if you transfer to another university.
📝 New Haven Promise Scholars can defer their award for a maximum of 2 semester within the five years following high school graduation. Commonly, it happens when you go out-of-state, take a gap, or have academic, financial or personal reasons. Out-of-State Scholars can activate their award no later than sophomore year if transferring back to an in-state college.
* New Haven Promise pays up to 2 years (4 semesters) at CT State Community College and up to 4 years (8 semesters) at a four-year college.
** University match cannot be combined with other grants offered by the university. Terms apply. It typically requires FAFSA completion by February 15 of your senior year and immediate matriculation after high school graduation. University match won’t follow you if you transfer to another university.
📝 New Haven Promise Scholars can defer their award for a maximum of 2 semester within the five years following high school graduation. Commonly, it happens when you go out-of-state, take a gap, or have academic, financial or personal reasons. Out-of-State Scholars can activate their award no later than sophomore year if transferring back to an in-state college.
Benefit Qualifying Percent by Length of Residency and Enrollment
For the purpose of determining qualifying percent, 1) student must concurrently be a resident of New Haven and attend New Haven Public Schools or approved charter schools; 2) only continuous residency and enrollment count. If you leave the city of New Haven or New Haven public schools and then return, the year of return will be the year from which the qualifying percent is calculated.
Benefits for Scholars at both in-state and out-of-state Colleges
Paid Internship & Career Programs
- Annual Internship, Job & Career Fair (in January)
- Exclusive access to internships designed specifically for Promise Scholars across 50+ hiring entities within Greater New Haven
- Access to the Promise Job Board to find internships and full-time job opportunities
- Full-time job support for college graduates
Professional Development Workshops
- Professional development workshops (LinkedIn, workplace culture, public speaking etc.)
- Resume assistance
- Mock interviews
- Career panels
Professional Network & Mentorship
- Join a network of 800 current college students and 1,300+ alumni
- Connections to community partners and local leaders
- Mentorship
Graduate School Benefits
- Graduate studies partnership with Albertus Magnus College for 15% reduced tuition
- Yale/SCSU/NHPS Full-Tuition Teacher Fellowship
Scholar & Alumni Events
- Wealth building workshops (Homebuyer Seminar etc.)
- Social networking events
- New Haven Promise hosted annual events
Passport to Promise Scholarship
The second chance scholarship with potential conversion to New Haven Promise scholarship
Who Should Apply
If you are below or just above 3.0 GPA heading into your final semester of high school, or if you are not sure about your GPA, we recommend that you apply to Passport to Promise as a simple precaution.
Eligibility and Requirements
- Student must apply during the high school senior year between Oct 1 and Dec 23 at app.newhavenpromise.org. See How To Apply
- Check the “Passport to Promise” box and submit an essay in the application.
- You meet ALL the New Haven Promise’s requirements (residency, enrollment, absence, community service etc.) except for the cumulative 3.0 GPA.
- You have a cumulative 2.5 weighted GPA or higher upon high school graduation.
Benefits
- Passport to Promise is a competitive scholarship of $1,000 for the freshman year for up to 20 students from each high school graduating class.
- If selected, recipients must enroll immediately at one of the Connecticut Colleges and Universities following high school graduation.
- Passport to Promise scholarship is non-renewable after the freshman year.
- Recipients who achieve 2.0+ college GPA and earn at least 24 credit hours in the freshman year will automatically advance to receive a regular New Haven Promise award for the remainder of their studies for up to 3 years (6 semesters).
James W.C. Pennington (HBCU) Fellowship
Yale’s competitive merit scholarship to attend a participating HBCU.
In December 2022, Yale created the Pennington Fellowship to support New Haven public school students who choose to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The participating colleges are: Hampton University, Howard University, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T, and Spelman College.
The Pennington scholarship is named after the first Black student to attend Yale. Reverend Pennington pursued education for himself and others throughout a life lived with extraordinary courage.
New Haven Promise was selected to manage the Pennington Scholarship and organize the selection of the Pennington Scholars through a committee process.
Eligibility and Requirements
- Student must apply during the high school senior year between Oct 1 and Dec 23 at app.newhavenpromise.org. See How To Apply.
- Check the “James W.C. Pennington” box and submit an essay in the application.
- You must meet ALL the New Haven Promise’s requirements (residency, enrollment, absence, community service etc.) AND have a competitive high school GPA (cumulative 3.3 weighted GPA or higher preferred)
- You must ultimately be admitted to at least one of the participating HBCUs.
Benefits
- There will be 10 to 12 Pennington Fellows selected from each high school graduating class through a committee process.
- Each Pennington Fellow received up to $20,000 annually.
- The award is renewable for up to 4 years (8 semesters) as long as Scholars maintain full-time enrollment (12 credit hours) and successful academic progress defined as a 2.0 semester and cumulative GPA.
- Pennington Fellows must enroll immediately in the fall after high school graduation and remain continuously enrolled until graduation.
- The award is available only at the HBCU you initially enrolled and cannot be transferred to another HBCU.
- Hampton University, Morehouse College and Morgan State University offer $5,000/year in university match to up to two Pennington Fellows from each high school graduating class. University match cannot be combined with other grants offered by the university. Terms apply.