The UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship is a partnership between Birmingham Promise, Inc. and UAB. The scholarship is available to students who are admitted to UAB as first-time, full-time freshmen in the academic year following high school graduation from a Birmingham City School, beginning with the graduating high school class of 2020 and continuing for subsequent graduating classes.
Requirements/Eligibility
The UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship covers tuition for up to 15 credit hours per semester and may be awarded for up to four years (8 semesters) of full-time undergraduate study at UAB. 
Review a detailed list of institutional and course-related fees that are covered (as well as those that are not covered) by the UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship.
The UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship is contingent upon determination of program eligibility by UAB and Birmingham Promise, Inc. You must first complete the federal financial aid process at www.fafsa.gov. This will allow you to see whether you qualify for other scholarships and grants. Once that assistance has been determined, you can apply for Birmingham Promise. Students must submit this application by March 1 of their senior year.
To qualify for the UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship, students must:
- Have graduated from a Birmingham City School: AH Parker, GW Carver, Huffman, Jackson-Olin, Ramsay, Wenonah, or Woodlawn High School.
- Starting with the graduating class of 2021, students will be offered 100% of the Birmingham Promise Scholarship if they will have been enrolled in one of the seven Birmingham City School High Schools for at least 3 years by their graduation. Students will receive 50% of the Birmingham Promise if they will have been enrolled in a Birmingham City School high school for less than 3 years by their graduation.
- Be admitted to UAB as a first-time, full-time freshman in the fall semester of the academic year immediately following their high school graduation. General admissions requirements are a 2.75 high school GPA and 20 ACT if not applying test-optional.
- Be admitted to UAB by December 1 of their senior year (for students graduating high school in 2021 or beyond).
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by December 1 of their senior year (for students graduating high school in 2021 or beyond). If selected for verification through the FAFSA, verification must be completed by May 1 each year of enrollment to be eligible for the scholarship.
- Enroll in at least 12 credit hours each semester for the scholarship to be applied to your student account.
Deadlines
- Students must be admitted to UAB and complete a FAFSA by December 1 of their senior year (for students graduating high school in 2021 or beyond).
- Students selected for FAFSA verification must complete their verification requirements through BlazerNET by May 1 each year of enrollment.
- Students receiving an ACT- & GPA-based scholarship from UAB must accept their award in BSMART by May 1 of their senior year of high school.
Renewal
Students must meet the renewal requirements for both UAB and Birmingham Promise, Inc.
UAB Renewal Requirements:
The UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship can be renewed for a total of 4 years (8 semesters). To maintain eligibility, students must:
- Submit a FAFSA to UAB by December 1 each year for the following academic year.
- Be continuously enrolled at UAB full-time (12+ credit hours each semester). Continuous enrollment is defined as full-time registration for the fall and spring semesters each year.
- Demonstrate progress toward a degree by maintaining a cumulative 2.0 UAB GPA or higher and completing 67 percent of attempted coursework.
Students will be reviewed for renewal of the UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship at the end of each semester. Students who do not meet renewal requirements will be allowed to receive the UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship for a one-semester probationary period.
Birmingham Promise, Inc. Renewal Requirements:
The renewal requirements for Birmingham Promise, Inc. can be found at birminghampromise.org.
Contact Information
Prospective and currently enrolled students may contact the UAB Birmingham Promise Program Manager, Maegan Royal, at
For general information about the Birmingham Promise and its requirements, please visit www.birminghampromise.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What does Birmingham Promise cover?
The Birmingham Promise Scholarship covers only tuition and required fees up to a maximum of 15 credit hours per semester (fall and spring). Although you are not required to accept loans offered in your financial aid notification, any charges not covered by the Birmingham Promise Scholarship, other scholarships, or grants will be your responsibility to pay. Some examples may include housing costs, meal plan, or books and supplies.
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Is the UAB Birmingham Promise a need-based scholarship?
The scholarship is not need-based and eligibility is not impacted by the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) on your FAFSA.
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Is a separate scholarship application required?
Students must submit a Birmingham Promise application to be considered. A separate UAB scholarship application is not required. Students meeting the admissions and FAFSA deadlines are automatically considered for the UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship.
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Would I be required to take out student loans before I can apply the UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship?
Accepting loans is not a requirement of the UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship. However, loans may be offered as part of your financial aid and may be used toward other educational expenses if needed.
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I am a transfer student. Am I eligible for the UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship?
Transfer students are not eligible for the UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship. Students must be admitted to UAB as first-time freshmen for the fall semester of the academic year immediately following their high school graduation to be eligible. Transfer students may qualify for other scholarship funds through Birmingham Promise, Inc.
To determine your eligibility, please visit the Birmingham Promise website.
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My parent is a UAB Employee. Does the UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship impact my UAB Educational Assistance?
Dependents of UAB Employees who are eligible to receive UAB Educational Assistance can also receive the UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship. For additional information about the Educational Assistance program, please visit the UAB HR website.
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Is there a limit to the number of hours I can take each semester?
Students must be enrolled in at least 12 hours each semester to be eligible. The UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship will cover tuition for up to 15 hours each semester. Students will be responsible for any tuition costs above 15 hours.
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Are students admitted in the spring eligible for the scholarship?
Students starting in the spring semester are not eligible for the UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship. Students must be admitted to UAB as first-time freshmen for the fall semester of the academic year immediately following their high school graduation.
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Can I request a deferment of the UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship due to military service?
We do offer a chance to appeal for deferment of any scholarship award if a student is committed to military service. Please contact Andrew Colson should you need to request such a deferment.
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Am I eligible for a UAB ACT- & GPA-based scholarship?
Students who qualify for a UAB ACT- & GPA-based scholarship will receive their scholarship in full.
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Am I required to be enrolled continuously at UAB to receive the scholarship?
Yes. Students must be enrolled continuously (with exception to the summer semester) for their scholarship to be renewed. Any gaps in enrollment will result in the cancellation of the UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship.
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Can I use this scholarship to study abroad?
The UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship may be used on a case-by-case basis toward study abroad tuition & fees up to the UAB tuition equivalent.
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I graduated high school before 2020. Am I eligible for the UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship?
UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship is not retroactive and is not available to students who entered UAB prior to the Fall 2020 semester. Academic scholarships awarded to students entering UAB prior to Fall 2020 will not be impacted.
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Are the Birmingham City School Scholarship and AP Scholarships still available to me as an applicant?
The UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship will replace the Birmingham City School Scholarship and AP Scholarships as of the Fall 2020 semester. Current UAB students’ Birmingham City School Scholarship and AP Scholarships will still be honored.
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Is my Raise UAB Scholarship still going to be applied?
RaiseMe micro-scholarships for Birmingham City School students were phased out with the graduating class of 2020. RaiseMe micro-scholarships will no longer be applicable for the graduating classes of 2021 and beyond.
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Are students admitted through the Blazing Start Program eligible for the UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship?
Yes. Students who receive a Blazing Start Offer must accept their offer by December 1 of their senior year of high school to be eligible for the UAB Birmingham Promise Scholarship.
Birmingham Promise, Inc. and its partners cannot guarantee any benefits, financial or otherwise, to or on behalf of any student through the Birmingham Promise. By completing a commitment form, individuals recognize and agree that all assistance from Birmingham Promise, Inc. is conditional upon a student's full acceptance in the program and the availability of funding.