East Texas Baptist University is dedicated to enhancing community, and a testament to this commitment is the Harrison County Promise Scholarship. Specifically designed for students in Harrison County, this scholarship serves as a gateway for local students to pursue higher education in close proximity to their homes. At ETBU, our mission is to equip servant leaders with a Christ-centered education that nurtures their minds, bodies, and souls, preparing them for the diverse vocations they will pursue upon bachelor's degree completion. Through this scholarship, ETBU seeks to foster a sense of community that empowers the next generation of college graduates to serve the cities and communities of Harrison County for years to come.
Overview
The ETBU Harrison County Promise Scholarship is a tuition-only scholarship to East Texas Baptist University valued at $20,000/year ($10,000/semester for fall and spring semesters only), equivalent to a total of $80,000 up to four consecutive years of enrollment at ETBU. The Harrison County Promise Scholarship is eligible to renew on an annual basis provided all criteria is maintained. ETBU may select up to 30 local high school May 2025 graduates to be awarded the Harrison County Promise Scholarship. ETBU’s Harrison County Promise Scholarship recipients will be selected by the ETBU Scholarship Application Committee that will verify all requirements, review the student’s essay, and interview the student applicant.
- Criteria
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Scholarship applicants are required to meet the following criteria to be considered for ETBU’s Harrison County Promise Scholarship:
- Graduate from Elysian Fields High School, Hallsville High School, Harleton High School, Marshall High School, Waskom High School, Marshall Christian Academy, or home school graduate1 with a permanent address in Harrison County.
- Graduate from one of the approved list of Harrison County, Texas, high schools in May/June 2025.
- Apply for admission and be accepted to ETBU.
- Complete the Harrison County Promise Scholarship Application.
- Have a minimum recalculated high school GPA of 3.75 (4.0 scale).
- Submit a scholarship application essay (250-word minimum) detailing the student’s Christian servant leadership through active involvement in church, school, and community service. The essay must be personally written by the student.2
- If selected for consideration for the Harrison County Promise Scholarship, student will interview with the ETBU Scholarship Committee.
Recipients of the Harrison County Promise Scholarship will be required to meet the following criteria to maintain eligibility for the scholarship while enrolled at ETBU:
- Maintain a cumulative 3.2 GPA at ETBU.
- Enroll full-time3 at ETBU in Fall 2024 and maintain continuous full-time enrollment in the subsequent fall and spring semesters.
- Live in on-campus housing during enrollment at ETBU.
- Active participation in at least one on-campus student organization, chosen from a list of organizations provided by the ETBU Scholarship Committee.
- Serve 12 hours per semester in the community. Service will be coordinated through the Learning and Leading course and the Great Commission Center.
- Be available to represent ETBU as an ambassador for the University.
Given the significant scholarship support, students selected to receive this scholarship will not be eligible for any additional ETBU institutional scholarships. The Harrison County Promise Scholarship will be awarded for a maximum of eight (8) semesters or up to 120 attempted hours based on meeting criteria of the scholarship each semester. The Harrison County Promise Scholarship is available to students enrolled at ETBU and only applies toward tuition costs. The scholarship has no cash value and is non-transferable. Scholarship recipients must enroll and attend ETBU in the Fall semester 2025.
(1) Students graduating from a non-accredited high school, such as a home school program, are required to submit an ACT, SAT, or CLT score to be considered for acceptance to ETBU. Students required to submit a standardized score must score at least an 18 on the ACT, 970 on the SAT, or 62 on the CLT test to be considered for the Harrison County Promise Scholarship.
(2) Student essays will be verified to ensure AI was not used in the composition and that the essay was the original work of the applicant.
(3) Students must be enrolled in at least 12 hours in each of the fall and spring semesters to be considered full-time.