Qualifying Pell Grant-eligible new students from Highland County can now receive free tuition at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, the university said Wednesday in a news release.

Shawnee State has expanded its Free Tuition Program to include Brown, Gallia, Highland and Vinton counties in of Ohio. Offering free tuition to Pell-eligible first-time students who have a minimum 3.0 GPA and 18 ACT score, these counties join Scioto, Lawrence, Adams, Pike, Jackson and Ross counties in Ohio, as well as Greenup, Boyd and Lewis counties in Kentucky that have been part of the free tuition program since its launch last fall.

“Our free tuition program has already made college possible for hundreds of students in our region,” SSU President Jeff Bauer said. “We are thrilled to be able to expand the program and look forward to welcoming more students this fall — and into the future.”

Eligibility requirements include being a first-time undergraduate student entering SSU in fall 2023 (including College Credit Plus students who earned college credit while in high school), being a resident of Scioto, Lawrence, Adams, Pike, Jackson, Ross, Brown, Gallia, Highland and Vinton counties in Ohio, or Greenup, Boyd or Lewis counties in Kentucky, qualifying for the federal Pell Grant (as determined by FAFSA), having a high school GPA of at least 3.0 and an ACT score of at least 18. Students must enroll at SSU as a full-time student and maintain full-time status.

Bauer said that the program is funded in part through donations to the Friends of Shawnee Scholarship within the SSU Development Foundation. To expand the program, funds raised at this year’s SSU President’s Gala to be held April 22 will benefit the Friends of Shawnee Scholarship Fund.

“Providing more opportunities for students of our region, who use their Shawnee State degrees to fill vital health care, business, education and technology jobs here in our region, benefits all of us who call southern Ohio home,” he said. “We’ve received overwhelming support for our free tuition program and appreciate everything that our community members, educators and families do to help students in our region plan for successful lives after high school.”

Application for the Free Tuition Initiative is automatically considered when students complete their general university application. The program covers the tuition costs, but does not include housing, books, special course fees, or meals.

To learn more about the Free Tuition Program at SSU, visit www.shawnee.edu/free-tuition or call the university’s office of admission at 740-351-4778.

Submitted by Elizabeth Blevins, executive director marketing and communications, Shawnee State University.