COTC to Offer Free College for Eligible Coshocton County Residents

NEWARK, Ohio, Nov. 15, 2018–Central Ohio Technical College’s (COTC) ambitious new Coshocton Promise program makes free college a reality for eligible Coshocton County residents. The Coshocton Promise guarantees that COTC will fund the gap between tuition (instructional and general fees) and remaining student need after all other private scholarships, institutional, federal and state aid are exhausted. Under the program, all tuition will be covered for students annually reporting a household income of $60,000 or less on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Coshocton Promise is open to new, current or returning COTC students who do not already hold a bachelor’s degree or an associate degree. Eligible students must be current Coshocton County residents who have lived in the county for at least one year. Recipients must be enrolled in an aid-eligible COTC degree or certificate program at any COTC campus or online.

The Coshocton Promise will be available to eligible students starting in COTC’s upcoming summer semester, which begins on May 13, 2019. Initial Coshocton Promise funds are made possible through a unique public/private partnership between COTC and the Coshocton Foundation’s Clarence and Grace Miller Scholarship endowment.

“With this announcement, COTC reaffirms its longstanding commitment to affordability, accessibility and to the people of Coshocton County,” said COTC President Bonnie L. Coe, Ph.D. “This investment in our community, in partnership with the Coshocton Foundation, is an investment in our neighbors, children and friends.”

“COTC’s Coshocton Promise will not only provide abundant opportunities for education and an economic pipeline for local workforce development but also hope for a strong future for all of Coshocton County, “said Bob Pell, Coshocton Foundation executive director. “The Coshocton Foundation is extremely proud to partner with COTC on this exciting initiative.”

Coshocton County residents who apply to COTC, are admitted and complete the FAFSA are automatically considered for the Coshocton Promise. Students are encouraged to file the FAFSA by the Feb. 1, 2019, priority filing date. Visit go.cotc.edu/promise or call the COTC Coshocton Campus Admissions Office at 740.622.1408

Other Coshocton Promise eligibility facts:

• Current and returning COTC students must meet the standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (visit cotc.edu/admissions/sap).
• Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA and continue meeting the standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress as well as maintain all other federal eligibility requirements each semester enrolled at COTC to maintain Coshocton Promise eligibility.
• Coshocton Promise eligibility is determined each year based on the reported household income on the FAFSA and continued Coshocton County residency.

Other facts:

• Coshocton Promise recipients can enroll in as little as one credit hour in their program each semester to be eligible.
• There is no lifetime dollar limit to Promise awards.
• COTC is actively pursuing sustainable funding to expand the COTC Promise program to other areas served by the college.

Complete an associate degree in Coshocton
COTC’s Coshocton campus, located at 200 North Whitewoman St. in historic Roscoe Village, is a full-service state-of-the-art learning center offering 15 classrooms, distance-learning classrooms, as well as nursing, engineering technology, computer and other laboratory spaces. Students can complete several programs at the Coshocton campus as well as begin any of COTC’s more than 45 associate degree and certificate programs in the following areas: healthcare, engineering technology, public services and safety, business and information technology, and transfer degrees in arts and sciences.