FLAGSTAFF — The scenario is all too common: Some students struggling to make ends meet and who qualify for federal financial aid still don’t quite have the funds to completely cover the cost of their tuition. To those students, such a barrier is hard, if not impossible, to overcome.
Coconino Community College makes those students a promise: The college will cover the difference.
The Comet Promise program helps eligible students pay for their education by covering the cost of tuition when federal grants fall short. The program aims at helping remove economic barriers to offer a pathway for CCC students to complete their certificate or degree.
“We know that many of our students are working hard just to make ends meet,” said CCC President Eric Heiser, Ph.D. “We don’t ever want the cost of tuition to keep a student from embarking on the life-changing opportunities that a higher education can provide. If you’re all-in on the work that it takes to get the degree or certificate, we’re all-in on removing as many barriers as we can to help you be successful.”
For students to qualify for the Comet Promise they must:
- Be a resident of Coconino County AND
- Have graduated from a Coconino County high school or equivalent AND
- Enroll in six or more credits as a first-time certificate- or degree-seeking student AND
- Be awarded any amount of federal Pell Grant OR
- Be a qualifying non-citizen student (undocumented or Dreamer status) OR
- Have parents who are unable to sign the federal Pell Grant form AND
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the CCC Financial Aid Office while attending CCC.
Vice President of Student Services Tony Williams said, “The Comet Promise is not just about making education more affordable, it is a profound declaration of the college’s commitment to our students’ success.”
Williams also said that access alone is not enough, and that is why CCC has developed holistic support systems that encompass academic guidance, peer mentoring, tutoring services and career developing opportunities.
“With the Comet Promise program, our students will not only have the means to pursue their dreams, but also receive the support they need to flourish academically, personally and professionally,” Williams said.
Funding for the program to all qualifying students comes from tuition revenues received by the college.
Dr. Heiser said, “A more educated citizenry makes better communities, and as your community college, we take that role very seriously. There’s no better time for you to start small and go big with CCC.”
For more information about the Coconino Community College Comet Promise program, or to apply, visit
www.coconino.edu/promise.
About Coconino Community College
CCC has served residents across 18,000 square miles of Coconino County since 1991. The College has the goal of improving the lives of our residents through workforce development and higher education.
CCC provides affordable tuition and offers certificate programs and two-year associate degrees in academic and career fields. CCC also has programs that ease student transition to any of the three state universities.
CCC reaches out to the more rural portions of the County and Tribal Lands. Instructional sites offer classes through online, in-person and Zoom video conferencing classes to meet the needs of students in rural and remote areas. On average, one in five of CCC’s students are Native American learners.
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