Columbus Promise extended for "years to come"

The Columbus Promise program that gives Columbus City Schools graduates a free college education will continue beyond its three pilot years, local officials announced yesterday.

Why it matters: The initiative, which covers six semesters at Columbus State Community College, is making higher education accessible to students who likely wouldn't have enrolled otherwise, per a new independent analysis .

By the numbers: CCS' overall college-going rate has increased from 34% for the class of 2021, before the program, to 50% for the class of 2023, its second cohort.

• About one-third of all graduates are now Promise Scholars.

The latest: Recruitment is ongoing for a third student cohort.

• Efforts have been on a compressed timeline following the rocky rollout of a new Federal Application for Free Student Aid (FAFSA) form.

What we're watching: Officials haven't confirmed how long the extension is for or how they'll pay for it.

• The three pilot years cost $9.5 million, with $4.5 million funded by donors, $4 million by the City of Columbus and $1 million by Columbus State.

What they're saying: "Partners are engaging with philanthropic benefactors to strategize about plans for sustainability and will update the public on these plans as they are finalized," per a statement by the program's leadership.