LeBron James’ 'I Promise' School Students Surprised With FREE Tuition At Kent State University – Their Reactions Are PRICELESS!

Here’s the best news you’ll read about all week. LeBron James’ inaugural ‘I Promise’ class have been gifted FREE tuition for four years at Kent State University along with other bomb incentives. Catch the feels inside…

LeBron James will be known for more than being one of the greatest NBA players of all times. His philanthropic works are stellar and continue to give back to underprivileged students in his hometown of Akron.

In July 2018, the Los Angeles Lakers player's “I Promise” School was opened in his hometown of Akron. The superstar athlete teamed up with The LeBron James Family Foundation and Akron Public Schools to create a school focused on STEM, hands-on, problem-based learning. And it's a public school, not a charter school, so it's free for students.

Now, the inaugural class has been laced with some gifts to further their education. And it’s SO good, it may bring you to tears.

”I Promise” students traveled to Kent State University for a field trip and ended up receiving the hugest surprise ever. The university surprised the students with FREE tuition for fours years! And that’s not all. The students will also received a FREE year of room and board!

“When you show up to @KentState for your 11th grade experience outing, but find out you’re also getting FREE tuition for 4 years AND a year of free room & board‼️” the LeBron James Family Foundation tweeted along with a video showing the reactions of the students the moment they learned the great news.

Their reactions were priceless. In the clip, the students are seated inside an auditorium at Kent State University and they are told to grab an envelope under their seats. That's when they were told about being gifted free tuition, room & board. Tears started flowing from the kids' faces and even their parents who were watching on a live feed in a separate room.

“You are Mr. LeBron James’ first class. His first love. It all started because of you,” Melody Tankersley - the interim senior vice president at Kent State - told the students in the video.

Check it below:

 

When you show up to @KentState for your 11th grade experience outing, but find out you’re also getting FREE tuition for 4 years AND a year of free room & board‼️ pic.twitter.com/udCrl95qFi

— LeBron James Family Foundation (@LJFamFoundation) February 12, 2020

 

Kent State University said the opportunity came about following their partnership with the The LeBron James Family Foundation. "I Promise" students attend summer enrichment college prep programs at Kent. The oldest class of "I Promise" are currently juniors and will be eligible to attend college at Kent State in the 2021-2022 academic year. There are 193 students in the inaugural class.

 

Mr. LeBron’s first #IPROMISE class. His first love. Thank you @KentState for making dreams come true for our students and families. #WeAreFamily pic.twitter.com/Kqye8DwK3q

— LeBron James Family Foundation (@LJFamFoundation) February 12, 2020

 

“We are so pleased to take our partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation to this next level and welcome these students fully into the Kent State family. Kent State looks forward to the time when our campus is teeming with I PROMISE students,” Kent State President Todd Diacon said in a press release.

To receive the free tuition, the students must be admitted to the school, fill out the required financial aid forms and complete a requisite number of community service hours each semester. To remain eligible for the free tuition each year, the students must remain in good academic standing (yes, they have to put in the work), must complete a minimum number of credit hours annually and must take part in a required number of community service or volunteer hours.

 

The moment you realize your dream of attending @KentState is becoming a reality. pic.twitter.com/vvTaJv1aj7

— LeBron James Family Foundation (@LJFamFoundation) February 12, 2020

 

Loves it! Congrats to the "I Promise" students!

The four-time NBA MVP and his LeBron James Family Foundation are making sure their are covered in all aspects, not just academically.

The "I Promise" School provides GED classes and job placement assistance for parents and guardians of students who attend the school. The school also provides a food pantry for the parents of students. This isn't the first time LeBron has helped parents to get their GEDs. Before launching his school, his foundation helped parents in Akron to finally nab their GED certificate throughout the years.

The school also provides free breakfast, lunch and snacks before they go home for the day, free uniforms and free transportation. The students also have access to a fitness trainer. When he opened the school, the Lakers baller gave every incoming student a bicycle since he used to ride his bicycle to explore different neighborhoods of Akron.

In an interview with CNN's Don Lemon, LeBron said he wanted to create a family atmosphere for the students. The school's hours are 9am to 5pm with an extended school year that runs from July through May. LeBron said they extended the school hours and the school year to keep the kids away from all of the drug/gang drama that's going on in their neighborhoods.

Gotta love it!

BONUS:

By the way, LeBron's daughter - Zhuri James - just released a new episode on her YouTube series, "All Things Zhuri." Check it out above.

Photos: Getty/I Promise School's Twitter

 

source: theybf