The Holland/Zeeland Promise

What Makes the Holland/Zeeland Promise Unique?

The Holland/Zeeland Promise began as a dream to allow our area’s youth to graduate college or technical school without the burden of student debt. Promise candidates are nominated by their high school or Careerline Tech Center guidance counselors, or staff from local youth-serving organizations. Selection is based on a range of factors including high financial need, the motivation to achieve a college or technical degree and proven academic success. Many Promise recipients are the first in their families to go to college.

Support Promise Scholars

Join other local families and businesses in furthering access to education by becoming a donor! Many donors make a four-year pledge, their “promise” to see scholars all the way through to graduation.

Four Year Pledge One Time Donation

How Does the Promise Work?

It’s a last-dollar scholarship which means that after other grants and scholarships have been applied, we cover the remaining cost of tuition, books, room, and board. Our goal is for students to graduate debt free or as debt free as possible.

The Promise offers a side-by-side approach, addressing not only financial needs, but also academic and socio-emotional needs. We check in with students monthly to see how they are handling classes and life at school and connect them with campus resources.

Extra support is provided through local partnerships: mental health counseling is available through Mosaic Counseling and career coaching is provided through Thompson M-TEC.

Unlike many other scholarships, the Promise is renewable for additional undergraduate years, dependent on students remaining in good academic standing and making progress toward their degrees.

The program encourages peer mentoring by bringing students together at an annual summer gathering.

To date the Promise boasts a 92% graduation rate in comparison to a national average graduation rate of 61% (National Student Clearinghouse).

Many Promise graduates return to our community to live, work, and give back.

Meet the 2025 Promise Scholars

Fifteen hardworking Promise Scholars joined the program in 2025!

Meet our scholars

Promise Partners

The dream of offering scholarships to motivated students, many the first in their families to attend college, could not happen without the support of our Promise donors.

Meet our partners

Promise Scholarship Process

Promise candidates are nominated by their high school or Careerline Tech Center counselors, or staff at local youth-serving nonprofit organizations.

Nominated candidates are contacted by our Director of Scholarships and given instructions regarding the application and selection process.

Selection is rigorous and based on a range of factors. High financial need, the motivation to achieve the goal of a college or technical degree and strong recommendations are priorities.