Mesa College Promise offers two years of community college for residents
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Google Fiber, an Alphabet company, invests in the education of Mesa high school students with a $25,000 donation to the Mesa College Promise program in support of student attainment of an associate degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Math field of their choice from Mesa Community College.
The Mesa College Promise is a commitment from the city of Mesa to its residents that all eligible graduating Mesa high school students can attend Mesa Community College for two years with Arizona resident tuition and fees fully funded.
The Mesa College Promise provides financial support to students with demonstrated financial needs but who have not received enough Free Application for Federal Student Aid funds or other scholarships to completely cover the cost of college.
“Supporting the Mesa College Promise program is a natural fit for Google Fiber,” said Will Novak, government and community affairs manager for Google Fiber. “We are purposeful in making investments that positively impact the communities we serve, including supporting STEM, digital equity and digital literacy.”
Google Fiber has been making an impact in the Mesa with its internet service since coming to the East Valley in 2022, giving residents a new choice for an internet provider, and now expanding choice in higher education for city residents.
“The Mesa College Promise is helping to build bridges to education and grow career opportunities for Mesa residents, thanks to support from the private sector,” said Mayor John Giles. “As Google Fiber’s network in Mesa expands and they continue to accelerate the delivery of fiber internet, we appreciate their partnership and investment in the future of our community.”
More than 580 qualifying Mesa high school students have benefitted from the Mesa College Promise program since its inception in 2021. Program participants may participate in an iPad loan program called iBelong, which includes training to effectively use the device. College Promise students also receive a stipend each semester for up to two years to use for books, transportation or other educational expenses and have a dedicated MCC advisor to provide academic and personal support.
“We welcomed a group of 200 incoming Mesa College Promise students for the fall semester, a majority who are the first in their immediate family to attend college. Many of our new Promise students might not be pursuing an associate or bachelor’s degree with us if it wasn’t for the philanthropic supporters of the program,” said Mesa Community College President Dr. Tammy Robinson. “It is contributions from partners like Google Fiber that assists in removing financial barriers and aid our students with dreams of earning a degree and launching careers supporting our community. ”
Mesa College Promise offers two years of community college for residents
To be eligible for Mesa College Promise, students residing in Mesa must be graduating from a public, private, charter, online or home-schooling program, including recipients of a state-accredited GED, have a 2.0 or better GPA and commit to taking a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester.
