For graduates of San Luis Obispo County high schools, the dream of a college education has become significantly more accessible thanks to the Cuesta Promise Scholarship. This program, offering two years of free tuition and required fees at Cuesta College, has become a powerful engine for local student success.
The scholarship has profoundly impacted how many local students continue their education immediately after high school.
Since the Cuesta Promise launched in 2013:
90% of local graduates who attend Cuesta College immediately following high school do so as Promise students.
“I think it just opens doors, and it opens opportunities, and eases the financial burden,” Cuesta College rep. Anel Gutierrez-Orozoco said. “A high school senior would say, ‘OK, well, if I do all these steps, they’re pretty easy. I’ll go to Cuesta for two years and see what happens.'”
A Lasting Legacy: The Dovica Donation
The Cuesta Promise was founded on an extraordinary act of philanthropy, beginning with a donation of roughly $8 million from the estate of local residents Charles and Lita Dovica. The estate entrusted the Cuesta College Foundation to use the funds for education, creating the scholarship endowment that launched the two-year, fee-free program.
The scholarship is managed by the Cuesta College Foundation, which also handles community-based fundraising and provides emergency scholarships directly to students.
The Cuesta Promise is available to all seniors graduating from a San Luis Obispo County high school.
First-year eligibility requires students to complete all Promise steps (including applying for admission and financial aid) by August 1st of one’s graduation year.
Second-year renewal requires that students pass more than half of all units attempted in their first academic year.
The Promise does not cover textbooks, transportation, or specialized material fees for hands-on classes (e.g., material fees for automotive, painting, or ceramics).
The tuition-free years provide a significant financial advantage for students planning to transfer to a four-year university.
“Ideally you would be using those funds [from the Promise] and saving your, like, state grants for a four year,” Gutierrez-Orozoco said.
By covering the community college costs, students can leverage state aid, such as Cal Grants, to pay for their upper education, significantly reducing the overall cost of a bachelor’s degree.
In a recent program update, the Cuesta Promise has expanded to cover the summer term for students.
While it previously covered only the fall and spring semesters, it now provides flexibility, allowing high school graduates to take courses in the summer immediately after their graduation and the summer between their first and second college years. For this early summer start, the steps must be completed by a deadline in June, rather than the August 1 deadline for the fall term.
