When the fall semester kicks off later this month, we will have the honor of supporting some 400 freshmen and sophomores across 17 Connecticut colleges and universities. This is a MONUMENTAL achievement given that Waterbury Promise only opened its doors last year. None of this would be possible without our truly wonderful partners and donors! 

We are doubling our impact in terms of scholars served and the value of our last-dollar scholarships ($2,500 per year for the Class of 2023). This year, our scholars will grace four additional campuses across the state, including Gateway Community College, the University of Bridgeport, Wesleyan University and Yale University. No matter where they are, Waterbury Promise is here to support their journeys—every step of the way!  

Check out our fabulous new video and hear from our scholars

about the power of Waterbury Promise! 

Our outreach to eligible scholars certainly paid off this year! We tabled at schools, sent texts and emails, made phone calls, blasted information out over social media and via ParentSquare and encouraged students to stay on track to promise. They showed up, studied hard, finished strong and in record numbers, have enrolled in Waterbury Promise and will launch the next chapter of their education right here in Connecticut. In fact, this year’s cohort is 16% larger than our inaugural class from 2022! 

Here’s a snapshot of our newbies—another diverse and impressive cohort of future leaders who are dreaming big. Check out who they are, where they hail from and where they are headed to college.

TOTAL 2023 SCHOLARS: 221

WHERE THEY ARE GOING

Charging Ahead with the University of New Haven

Banking Community Invests in a Brighter Future for Waterbury Promise Scholars

Waterbury Promise is thrilled and honored to announce that our community partner roster has grown to include three institutions that are literally banking on our success. The Ion Bank Foundation, Webster Bank and the M&T Charitable Foundation have all generously committed funding to support Waterbury Promise as we prepare to serve some 400 scholars in the coming year and build out and scale up our programming around college readiness, college success and career readiness. We are humbled and grateful for this incredible investment in our talented and deserving scholars that will yield unprecedented returns for our entire community! 

New Video Highlights Cigna's Investment in Waterbury Youth

Before there was a sign on the door or employees on the payroll, the Cigna Foundation made a game-changing $500,000 commitment to the Waterbury Promise Program and helped operationalized Mayor O’Leary, Dr. Ruffin and the Board of Directors' vision to bring this transformative college access and success model to the Brass City. Still the program’s largest corporate champion, WORX has created a new video highlighting the insurance giant’s commitment to the communities it serves and its unparalleled investment in Waterbury youth.  

Contact Hedy Ayers, Director of Development and Community Engagement for more information at hedy.ayers@waterburypromise.org.

Founding Champions

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Established in late 2021 in collaboration with the City of Waterbury and Waterbury Public Schools, Waterbury Promise is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to building a generation of college graduates in Waterbury. Our mission is to increase college aspirations, reduce financial barriers and inspire every student toward post-secondary education and completion. The program’s comprehensive college success model provides a generous last-dollar scholarship as well as critical support services to help talented Waterbury students get to college, persist through graduation and be career ready to help create a robust and diverse talent pipeline for the local economy.