According to South King County data and decades of higher education research, a lack of individualized support is a main barrier to receiving a college education.
That’s why programs like King County Promise prioritize building individualized supports. A cross-agency initiative designed to support young people with graduating and successfully transitioning to college or the career path of their choosing, King County Promise provides one-on-one advising, service referrals, postsecondary navigation and transition support, and an Equity Grant to support students through key milestones like financial aid completion, high school graduation/equivalency, college admission, college graduation, and more.
“Some changes I’ve seen with myself being in this program is the increased calmness and becoming more responsible,” said a King County Promise student participant.
The program aims to create a more equity-driven and connected education system by intentionally partnering with school districts, community-based organizations, and community and technical colleges across King County.
Since King County Promise first launched in late 2022, data has been collected for the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 school years. In this short time, the initiative is showing encouraging early outcomes:
- Since launching, enrollment has grown to nearly 1,000 students across both King County Promise partnerships in the 2024-2025 academic year.
- In the Highline area, Promise partner organizations serve students who predominantly identify as males of color. As they transitioned into college, 90% of these students enrolled in college-level English—outpacing statewide rates for Black students (81%), Latinx students (79%), and male-identified in Washington’s community colleges overall (84%).
- 29 Promise students—many furthest from educational justice—completed a postsecondary pathway within two years, marking the initiative’s first visible cohort of rapid completion.
- 85% of Promise students surveyed reported high levels of belonging, connection, and personal growth.
- $187,000 in Equity grants were distributed to Promise students, representing a 32% increase in the number of grants awarded compared to the previous year.
- During the 2023-2024 school year, Promise students completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Washington Application for State Financial AID (WAFSA) at rates that surpassed the average for all 12th graders in King County that school year. Financial aid completion rates for Promise students served in the Renton area was 76%. For Highline area Promise students it was 60% (as compared to the County average, which was 53%).
Last year, King County Promise hosted its annual Fall Convening, bringing together seven partner organizations for a day of reflection, collaboration, and celebration of collaborative efforts to make college a more attainable reality for many students in the region.
To learn more about this data collected through King County Promise, check out Laying the Foundation: King County Promise Early Implementation report and executive summary.
