Transforming Higher Education Accessibility for Oklahoma’s Promise Qualifiers
Directing a student to the proper path is a powerful way of shaping the future. Families, such as the Meltons of Ponca City, believe OBU’s Bison Pact is a path Oklahoma students need to hear about.
OBU’s new Bison Pact covers the remainder of tuition and general fees for Oklahoma’s Promise qualifiers who are incoming OBU freshmen and transfers in fall 2024, making private Christian education affordable for many families across the state. This stands to save families $140,000 over the course of four years.
“We are excited about the creation of the Bison Pact program that will provide new incoming Oklahoma’s Promise students with a financial pathway to obtain an OBU degree,” said Brad Burnett, vice president for enrollment management. “In an effort to assist as many Oklahomans as possible, we are also offering the program to qualifying Oklahoma’s Promise students transferring to OBU.”
Bison Pact covers the gap between the Oklahoma’s Promise scholarship and the cost of tuition and general fees, providing students a significant financial boost toward covering the cost of their education. This initiative is applicable for the fall and spring semesters, allowing students to benefit from affordable education during their entire academic year.
It’s the path Josiah Melton was seeking but had not heard of until his sister came across the game-changing information on Instagram. Melton wanted to go to Bison Hill but also desired to graduate debt-free. His parents, Scott and Terri Melton, were equally thrilled to hear of this new path. Three of their children have graduated or are currently attending OBU.
“The Bison Pact was a huge answer to prayer because it met his financial desires, but also he gets to be plugged into a solid Christian environment,” Scott Melton, senior pastor of Northeast Baptist Church, Ponca City, said.
“We believe in the mission, Terri Melton said. “We’ve taken all of our kids through OBU, and we believe in what they’re trying to accomplish.”
To take advantage of this incredible opportunity, prospective students are required to apply to OBU by March 1 and file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before March 1. Bison Pact recipients must maintain satisfactory academic progress at OBU and file a FAFSA each year before March 1 to retain the scholarship in future years.
For more information, visit okbu.edu/admissions/bison-pact.