Miami University pitches 'Fairfield Township Promise' to cover last-dollar tuition for Pell-eligible residents

Miami University representatives proposed a “Fairfield Township Promise” scholarship program that would cover remaining tuition costs for Pell-eligible students who are Fairfield Township residents and attended qualifying high schools from grades 9–12.

The university’s regional director of community alumni engagement, Sammy Broyles, said the program is intended to offer two- or four-year options and operate as a last-dollar scholarship after federal Pell Grant and other institutional aid. "It's just to help them cover a piece," Broyles said.

The proposal envisions a three-way partnership among Miami University, the Fairfield Community Foundation and Fairfield Township, with the foundation offering matching funds. Yvette (Kelly) Fields, Miami’s director of development, outlined a phased financial model starting with five students in the first year (estimated township cost $8,750 that year if the township matched the foundation), growing to an ongoing program supporting more students and stabilizing at an estimated township match of about $35,000 annually at scale. Fields said Miami’s regional campus already has scholarships and institutional contributions that would reduce the township’s share in many cases.

Maura Casey, dean of the regional campus and a Fairfield Township resident, emphasized Miami’s open-admissions regional campuses and the comparatively low cost ("between $7,000 and $7,500 a year") that the Promise program would help supplement to make degrees debt-free for eligible students.

Trustees asked how the program would treat homeschooled students, juveniles returning from detention, and how Miami’s existing merit and donor-funded scholarships would factor in. Fields and Broyles said the program’s eligibility rules are flexible and can be written to the township’s preferences; they proposed a 2.5 GPA floor and residency plus four years of high-school attendance (grades 9–12) as one potential rule. "It would be eligible if you want to make a clause that homeschoolers...would be eligible," Fields said when asked.

Trustees raised budget concerns. Trustee McAfee said the township’s cash reserves are tight and that a township contribution might not be feasible at present. Trustee Burding suggested exploring private-sector partnerships and asking local businesses to contribute, noting the potential workforce benefit for local employers. Several trustees suggested further study and follow-up discussions with the Fairfield Community Foundation, local businesses and neighboring municipalities that have adopted similar programs.

The trustees did not vote to commit township funds at the meeting. Staff and Miami representatives agreed to continue conversations and provide more detailed cost options and program terms. Broyles and Fields suggested that if the township preferred, the program could begin with a limited number of slots and expand in subsequent years.

Why it matters: The proposal targets local college access and workforce development by attempting to remove the final financial barriers that cause many Pell-eligible students to drop out early. Trustees signaled interest but did not commit township dollars; next steps include follow-up meetings and possible outreach to local businesses and the Fairfield Community Foundation.

The presentation occurred during the regular Fairfield Township Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 9, 2025, and drew questions from multiple trustees about eligibility, funding mechanics and timing.