A new scholarship aims to make tuition free for some first year students under financial hardship.

The Moorpark College Promise scholarship, will encourage Ventura County high school seniors to enroll at Moorpark College directly following graduation. After seniors apply for the FAFSA and BOG Fee Waiver, the Promise will cover the remaining difference of first year tuition for incoming freshmen.

Funded by the Moorpark College Foundation, the initiative strives to make college a smooth transition for seniors who want to continue their education.

“We’re trying to keep high school graduates on track to go directly to college,” said Moorpark city councilman and foundation board member David Pollock. “We will use the Moorpark College Promise scholarship as both an enticement and to get rid of any financial barriers.”

The scholarship is similar to the successful Ventura College Promise, which debuted in 2007. Both scholarships aim to increase the opportunity for student success.

“We feel that students have a greater chance of going to college if it’s right after they graduate, as opposed to later on in their life,” said Pollock.

The Moorpark College Foundation will be supporting the Promise through an assortment of donations and fundraisers, such as a potential campus swap meet and the quarterly President Breakfast series.

Up to a thousand students will take advantage of this incentive for continuing education after high school. Details are still being finalized, however, it is estimated the Promise scholarship will go into effect in Fall 2018.

Ventura County high school seniors should begin the FAFSA and BOG application process this coming Spring to qualify for the Moorpark College Promise.