Oct 02, 2014 11:50 AM EDT By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

Cuesta College in California announced Wednesday plans for free tuition for current and future Promise Scholarship recipients.

Currently, the scholarship provides a fee-free fall semester to all newly graduated San Luis Obispo County high school students. But starting next spring, the community college will pay student fees for all graduates of a local county high school district for the first year of their programs.

This means promise applicants will be guaranteed fee-free fall and spring semesters at Cuesta College

"We are extremely excited to extend the Promise Scholarship from one semester to a full-year," said Cuesta College President Dr. Gil Stork. "It is truly amazing that the private philanthropy of one family has produced the opportunity for hundreds of local young people in our county to attend a full-year of college with all fees paid for."

The Cuesta Promise is the result of a generous donation of more than $8 million to the Cuesta College Foundation from the Charles and Leeta Dovica Family Trust, who requested the funds be used for scholarships. The scholarship endowment, created in the fall of 2013, currently saves students an average of $700 per semester by paying for the per-unit cost of classes, health fees, Associated Students of Cuesta College fees, materials fees, Student Center fees, and the Student Rep fee.

"For generations to come, thousands of our SLO County students will have the opportunity to attend a full year of college for free -- all because of a single donation. What an incredible gift for the children and grandchildren of our local families," said Cuesta College Foundation Executive Director Shannon Hill.

In addition to breaking down financial barriers, the scholarship is designed to improve the college-going rate in San Luis Obispo County. In its inaugural year, the scholarship accomplished this goal; the college saw an increase of about 100 local high school student registrants.

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