Earlier this summer, LeBron James and the University of Akron came up with a plan to send 1,100 kids that qualify to college. James appeared with the First Lady Michelle Obama yesterday at an event to talk about the importance of getting an education.
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“We don’t come from places where families had a lot of money or a lot of resources. LeBron is investing so much in you guys because he knows that you’re worth it,” she said. “It’s on you,” she said. “You’ve got college paid for. Are you going to do the work to get there?”
The crowd of kids shouted with an ecstatic, “Yes.”
Over the summer, LeBron announced that kids in his ‘I Promise’ program will get full college scholarships if they complete it with good test scores, attendance, and community service. This is big for the 200+ seventh graders who will be graduating in six years if they meet all of their requirements.
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“It’s the reason I do what I do. These students have big dreams, and I’m happy to do everything I can to help them get there,” said James. “They’re going to have to earn it, but I’m excited to see what these kids can accomplish knowing that college is in their futures.”
In total, there are 1,100 kids in his program, and if they all do all the necessary things to qualify, James would send each and every one of them to the University of Akron on a fully-paid, four-year scholarship. Right now, the cost of tuition in the university as well as its service fee is $9,500 per year, so sending each of those $1,100 kids to college for all four years would cost James’ foundation $41.8 million.
You can watch the clip here:
Here is the full video: