As part of its dedication to affordability, the University of Oklahoma is launching the Crimson Commitment program. A student who is enrolled in OU’s Crimson Commitment will not have to pay tuition and, combining outside and OU resources, up to $8,000 in student fees for four years. The new program will be implemented beginning in fall 2019 for both incoming and current resident students who are recipients of Oklahoma’s Promise.
As a flagship public institution, OU is committed to increasing college education access. “It’s commonplace for colleges to annually raise tuition and fees, however, as a university we decided not to do that this year. Instead we are prioritizing affordability so access to an OU degree can be more attainable,” said Jeff Blahnik, associate provost for Enrollment Planning and executive director of OU Admissions and Recruitment. “Crimson Commitment makes it very clear to our Oklahoma’s Promise-eligible students that we are doing everything we can to make OU an affordable option.”
Crimson Commitment covers the tuition and average fees for both incoming and current resident students who are recipients of Oklahoma’s Promise. An OU student who is taking 15 credit hours per semester in the OU College of Arts and Sciences typically has about $4,000 in student fees per semester. Fees vary based on major. A schedule of course fees for each college may be found on the OU Bursar website.
“Crimson Commitment will provide direct-from-high-school Oklahoma’s Promise students with a path to achieve their goal of an OU degree,” said Brad Burnett, associate vice president for Enrollment and Student Financial Services. “We are excited to offer more resources to qualifying Oklahomans.”
Crimson Commitment is OU’s latest step in making a world-class education attainable at the university. In addition to this program, OU has increased nearly all freshman scholarships for the incoming class of 2019 and did not increase tuition for the 2018-19 school year. OU is one of two four-year public institutions in Oklahoma that did not increase tuition and mandatory fees this year.
“We are taking action to make OU more affordable to Oklahomans and want students in the state to think of OU as their future college home,” said Blahnik. “We are dedicated to keeping Oklahoma talent in our state, and Crimson Commitment helps us serve strong students who are in most need of financial assistance.”
The program also offers academic and personal support, which comes in the form of peer mentoring, graduation coaching, and ongoing programming focusing on the transition to college, success on campus, and the college-career pathway.
OU will invest more than $1.5 million each year into this new program. Crimson Commitment is offered through a combination of federal, state and institutional aid sources. Crimson Commitment is OU’s partnership with Oklahoma’s Promise, which is administered by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Oklahoma residents whose annual family income does not exceed $55,000 may enroll in Oklahoma’s Promise between eighth and 10th grades to earn a scholarship for college tuition. While Oklahoma’s Promise will pay for students’ tuition, Crimson Commitment was created to help students cover their fees up to $8,000. Scholarships and grant money a student receives reduces this sum.
To qualify for Crimson Commitment for the 2019-20 school year, an incoming freshman must:
- Qualify fully for Oklahoma's Promise
- Apply to OU by the Feb. 1 deadline
- Be admitted to OU as a direct-from-high-school, first-time, full-time freshman
- Complete a FAFSA by March 1 of senior year of high school
- Enroll as a full-time student each semester
The program is an upgrade and a replacement to the previous Sooner Promise program. Current OU students receiving Sooner Promise will automatically be a part of Crimson Commitment as long as they meet the renewal requirements. Currently, close to 2,000 students on OU’s campus are receiving Oklahoma’s Promise. Transfer students who qualify for Oklahoma’s Promise will continue to receive funding through Oklahoma’s Promise, but they are not eligible for Crimson Commitment since the program is designed for direct from high school students.
To renew Crimson Commitment for the 2019-20 school year, a current student must:
- Meet and maintain eligibility requirements and conditions for Oklahoma’s Promise
- File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on or before Dec. 15
- Be enrolled full time and maintain a four-year graduation track
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
- Attend the Crimson Commitment Symposiums (freshman year only)
“A college degree, particularly from an institution with OU’s reputation, can be the springboard to incredible future success,” Blahnik said. “We want to ensure that academically prepared students in the state have the ability to make this future a reality.”
To learn more, visit ou.edu/go2/crimsoncommitment.
