At this point, we’re all probably a little wary when it comes to politicians making policy announcements on Twitter (thanks, Trump). But some amazing news broke on Twitter courtesy of Birmingham, Alabama, Mayor Randall Woodfin on Tuesday night. Beginning next year, graduates of Birmingham city schools can go to any two- or four-year public Alabama college to which they are accepted for free.
The move comes as part of the Birmingham Promise program, a public-private partnership that promised to give funding to 20 rising seniors or recent graduates to work in the city for seven weeks. AL.com reports that at least one student from each Birmingham high school was included in the program. Most were recent graduates.
Back in June, Woodfin said he wanted to allocate $2 million of the proposed city budget of $451 million to the Birmingham Promise. From there, he wanted to see juniors and seniors at the high schools participating in local businesses by doing apprenticeships. For this part of the program, the Birmingham City Council approved $65,000.
This is a pretty awesome addition, given that not everyone needs (or wants) to go to college. Or maybe they’ll pursue college later, but can get some hands-on skills or business experience first.
It’s not yet been announced how much the free college program will cost. It’s also not clear if there are limitations or exclusions (for example, whether it includes the cost of on-campus housing, or whether you can attend part-time, etc). But no matter what, it’s an amazing opportunity.
Here’s a livestream that Woodfin shared on Facebook this morning, going over the program and what is known so far:
And here’s a 2017 interview with Mayor Woodfin, when he had just been elected. He talks about his age (he’s the youngest mayor in the city’s history) and his dreams for Birmingham: