Attendees gather outside of the McKinley House for Blackburn’s announcement.
On Sept. 19th at 5 p.m. an event was held outside of the McKinley House for two special announcements concerning Macoupin County and beyond. Blackburn College President John Comerford announced the Macoupin Promise, a program that allows students from Macoupin County to attend Blackburn and graduate debt free. He also announced the institution will join 70 other colleges in recognizing the students’ Free Application for Federal Student Aid’s (FAFSA) Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) amount as the only cost required to attend. “Everyone who is college ready should be able to go to college,” Comerford said in kicking off the event. “Students from any high school in [Macoupin] county will now be able to attend Blackburn, tuition-free.”
Former Carlinville Community High School Superintendent Mike Kelly.
Students that qualify for the Macoupin Promise must come from a family with under $60,000 income and apply and submit their FAFSA by Dec. 1. The Macoupin
Promise covers full tuition for students, but if the student wants to live on campus they must pay for room and board.
To address concerns about how Blackburn will afford the Macoupin Promise program, Comerford said, “the reality is, the reason we picked $60,000 dollars or less is because they will at least be eligible for partial pell and map grant from the federal and state government.”
Comerford’s address was followed by speeches from two Macoupin County natives, former Carlinville Community High School Superintendent Mike Kelly and senior theatre major Lisa Knight.
“I’ve seen the transformation of Macoupin County as it starts to lose employers and potential employers to other areas of the state that potentially might offer a little bit more,” Kelly stated. “Blackburn is incredibly important to Carlinville and also the greater community of Macoupin County. When they start offering these types of incentives for young people from our community to be well educated and have an opportunity to become potential entrepreneurs in this area or to be in an educated workforce, for a potential employer in this community, that is an exciting time for us.”
Senior theatre major Lisa Knight.
Knight spoke about growing up in Carlinville and how she took an unexpected path to Blackburn. “I never intended on attending Blackburn,” Knight reiterated. She then reflected on attending a different university, but after leaving due to illness and having trouble getting re-admitted afterwards, she turned to Blackburn. “My town took care of me,” Knight said.