Carl Sandburg College updates council on Galesburg Promise program

Autumn Scott, vice president for student development at Carl Sandburg College, told the City Council the Galesburg Promise has been operating at Sandburg for more than a decade and has awarded the Promise to over 1,100 students.

"The Galesburg Promise is actually funded by a portion of the City Of Galesburg's hotel motel occupancy tax rate," Scott said, explaining that 3.8 percentage points of the city's 10.8% rate are allocated to the program. She described the Promise as a "last pay" grant applied after Pell and MAP awards so the college invoices only for amounts actually dispersed to student accounts.

Eric Johnson, vice president of advancement, reviewed graduate survey results and program outcomes, noting workforce pathways and transfer options for students. "31%, of promise graduates this past year" was cited in the presentation as the portion entering ADN/LPN programs; presenters also reported a 38% graduation rate roughly in line with national community‑college averages. Johnson and Scott said the program has dispersed about $2,700,000 to student accounts over its life.

Council members asked whether other funds supplement the Promise and what happens to unspent hotel‑motel tax dollars. Scott said the Galesburg Community Foundation carries the funds and invoices Carl Sandburg College for dispersed dollars; city staff (Mr. Hansen) said the council can request more detailed accounting and the city will follow up.

Why it matters: the Promise is a long‑running local scholarship effort tied to a dedicated revenue stream. Council members signaled interest in periodic reporting on how the fund balance is managed and whether the program should expand to cover non‑tuition costs such as textbooks or fees.

Next steps: presenters offered to return with additional information about program details and workforce‑oriented curricula that may align with incoming employers in the city.