Count US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as among those impressed by LeBron James’ willingness to pay for thousands of local kids to go to college.
Through a partnership between the University of Akron and the LeBron James Family Foundation, the 1,100 children currently in his “I Promise” program will receive a fully-sponsored scholarship covering tuition and the university’s general service fee — currently $9,500 per year.
In addition to the 1,100 students currently in the program, an estimated 1,200 are expected to be added over the next four years — putting the cumulative total on James’ payroll as high as 2,300 students. The first high school class eligible for the scholarships will graduate in 2021.
Thanks @KingJames for investing in & providing an amazing opportunity for these kids. You’re making a difference! https://t.co/wdos76eRhD
— Arne Duncan (@arneduncan) August 14, 2015
“It’s the reason I do what I do,” said James, who announced the program while hosting an event for students at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Akron. “These students have big dreams, and I’m happy to do everything I can to help them get there. They’re going to have to earn it, but I’m excited to see what these kids can accomplish knowing that college is in their futures.”
The university and the LeBron James Family Foundation are finalizing the scholarship criteria. The students must graduate from high school in Akron’s public school system, clear standard testing rules, and meet community service obligations.
“It means so much because, as a kid growing up in the inner city and a lot of African-American kids, you don’t really think past high school,” James said. “You don’t really know your future. You hear high school all the time, and you graduate high school, and then you never think past that because either it’s not possible or your family’s not financially stable to even be able to support a kid going to college.”
The initiative was welcome news for the University of Akron, which recently announced $40 million in budget cuts, including the loss of the school’s baseball team.
As a token of gratitude, the university will rename its education department as the LeBron James Family Foundation College of Education.
Ben DuBose is a veteran sports reporter who has followed the Houston Rockets and the NBA since Hakeem Olajuwon was Akeem Olajuwon. He writes for both SheridanHoops and ClutchFans, an independent Rockets blog. You can follow him on Twitter.