DE PERE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — St. Norbert College is trying to attract students from local Catholic high schools through a new initiative that makes tuition more affordable.
Currently, there are eight Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Green Bay area. SNC wants to create a pipeline that will bring more of those students to its campus.
That’s where the Pennings Promise Plan comes in.
“As college can be expensive, it was one of the ways that we saw a need in the community to try and help students have that opportunity in higher education to stick closer to home,” said St. Norbert College Director of Admissions – Enrollment Partnerships Eric Wagner.
Wagner said the plan essentially wipes tuition costs for qualifying students. In order to be eligible, students must graduate from one of the Green Bay Diocesan-area Catholic schools. Students also must qualify for the Pell and Wisconsin Grants.
“This is just one extra element that we can try and get students to see how much of a value that this place can be,” Wagner said.
Tuition at St. Norbert College is nearly $47,000 per year. State, federal and college scholarships will help pay for this tuition-free option. Wagner said SNC will cover any additional tuition costs. How much the college will pay per student is unclear, since it depends on the number of students in the program.
Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay is one of the schools working with SNC on the Pennings Promise Plan initiative.
“I think there’s a lot of value to making that barrier to entry a little bit easier for the kids,” Notre Dame Academy President Amy Ott said.
Ott said this is a huge relief for students who may not have otherwise considered post-secondary education.
“From a cost perspective, any way we can help make college more affordable for students, it makes it easier for them to continue that process,” Ott said.
The plan is to continue the program as long as SNC can support it. Wagner said there’s no limit on the amount of students who can benefit.
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