Why UAB leads the way with Birmingham Promise students

 UAB Birmingham Promise scholars (and student mentors) Maleah Marbury, Jaxson Jones and Kamari Marzette

The Birmingham Promise scholarship provides graduates of Birmingham City Schools up to four years of tuition assistance at any public college or university in Alabama at which they are accepted.

The program was launched by the City of Birmingham and Mayor Randall Woodfin with the graduating class of 2020. Since then, more than 2,000 Birmingham City Schools students have taken part, enrolling at 26 participating colleges and universities — and UAB has enrolled more Birmingham Promise students than any other institution. The fall 2025 cohort of UAB Birmingham Promise students was the largest yet, with 71 students enrolling. The fall 2026 cohort is currently projected to be larger still.

World-class education programs are one major reason Birmingham Promise students say they chose UAB. UAB’s additional investments in the program are another factor. UAB was the first academic partner in Birmingham Promise, offering students a full tuition match. It is still one of only two institutions to offer a tuition match. UAB also has developed unique efforts to support Birmingham Promise students, including a UAB-specific mentorship program, customized academic workshops and a new student leadership group.

“I realized UAB offered much more than financial support,” said Jaxson Jones, a 2023 Jackson-Olin High School graduate majoring in biology who has his sights set on becoming a doctor. “The mentors and staff truly care about us students. Honestly, there is no better feeling than knowing you have people in your corner who truly want to see you succeed.”

“UAB is not just in Birmingham, but for Birmingham,” said UAB President Ray Watts, M.D., when the institution’s partnership with Birmingham Promise was first announced in 2020. And that commitment has not wavered, Watts adds today. “We are very pleased with what our Birmingham Promise students are achieving across our campus, as they enroll here in increasing numbers and excel in world-class academic programs,” Watts said. “I thank our Enrollment and Student Success team for providing the outstanding support and resources that help our Promise Scholars succeed.”

“I have had the opportunity to work with UAB through Birmingham Promise since 2021,” said Jasmine Conner, senior manager of Student Success for Birmingham Promise. “Throughout those years, UAB has taken the time and energy to invest in the future of our scholarship program and students. The intentionality and tailored support UAB offers add much value as to why our scholars are interested in attending UAB. UAB truly understands and pushes forward our vision and mission in supporting BCS scholars toward economic security, mobility and prosperity.”

 Joshlynn Hunter (second from right), assistant director of UAB Birmingham Promise and a former UAB Birmingham Promise scholar, with current UAB Birmingham Promise mentors at the Hill Student Center.

What brought these students to UAB

Birmingham Promise students say they found that UAB was positioned to help them meet their career goals, offer them new experiences and support them along the way.

Ashley Pender, a Carver High grad with the goal of becoming a certified public accountant, says a key moment was learning that her dream companies recruit heavily from UAB’s Collat School of Business. The school “puts in a lot of work to set students up for success, and that was something I couldn’t pass up,” she said.

For Maleah Marbury, a Ramsay High grad who wants to work in health policy and management, UAB’s public health programs and study abroad opportunities were a critical factor. At UAB, she added, “I have access to the major-specific resources I need, interact with a variety of people and am becoming more internationally minded.”

Kamari Marzette, another Ramsay High grad who has wanted to be an engineer since fourth grade, did not have UAB on her list until her senior year. That is when she started doing research in the lab of UAB biomedical engineering faculty member Mary-Kathryn Sewell-Loftin, Ph.D., in the O’Neal Cancer Center. “I saw all that UAB had to offer,” said Marzette, who will graduate in spring 2027 with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and a master’s degree in public health, with a concentration in epidemiology. “Coming here was a great decision. I love UAB.”

Investing in student support

Elizabeth BurnsFinding the right academic program is one aspect of a successful college experience. But finding your place on campus is also a concern.

“When you are a freshman, you are trying to find your way,” Marzette said. “You are trying to find who you are, where your classes are, how do I not fail out. That was what I felt. My mentor helped me so much during my freshman year. He was also an engineering student, so that changed the game for me in terms of the advice and help he shared.”

UAB Birmingham Promise mentors are sophomore, junior and senior Birmingham Promise students who are paired with new freshmen during summer orientation. They check in at least weekly, sharing tips on being successful at UAB, where to find help and more.

The mentor program is part of a network of support for UAB Birmingham Promise students that includes a dedicated staff member and special Summer Bridge orientation program, says Elizabeth Burns, UAB’s executive director of Orientation and New Student Programs. “That, along with our financial investment, really shows our commitment to the city we are in and to its graduates,” she said.

David DadaSecond-year retention data for UAB Birmingham Promise students tracks closely with that of UAB’s student population overall, Burns notes.

“We are proud that UAB is serving the most Birmingham Promise students of any school in the state,” said David Dada, director of Government Relations at UAB and a member of the UAB Birmingham Promise Advisory Board. “They are finding their home here and enjoying the experience. And one of the reasons for that is we are really intentional about helping them make that transition from high school to college.”

The student supports UAB offers “help to create community among Promise scholars while allowing them to grow as leaders on UAB’s campus,” added Birmingham Promise’s Conner. The mentorship program in particular has “allowed scholars to become familiar with their peers while navigating campus during their most pivotal time in college,” Conner said. “With a deeper understanding of the campus environments, scholars have found a home within their home at UAB.”

Mentors make a difference

“Having someone to hold your hand through that first year of college, someone who has been through something similar to your own experience, was really helpful to me,” said Joshlynn Hunter, a 2022 Ramsay grad who earned her degree in community health and human services at UAB in spring 2026. Last year, as a student, Hunter was one of two lead UAB Birmingham Promise mentors. Today she oversees all those helping hands as the assistant director for the UAB Birmingham Promise program, a role she began June 1, 2026.

Joshlynn Hunter“I greatly enjoyed having a mentor,” said Marbury, who is now a UAB Birmingham Promise mentor herself. “Joshlynn always texted me and checked in on me whenever I really needed it. She made me aware of many of the campus resources, gave me general tips on college life and offered me a good level of support to get through my first two semesters in college.”

Hunter, who was a freshman at the height of the COVID pandemic, knows that many students want to “meet more people on campus,” she said. “That’s what I wanted, to have more than just the friends I made in classes, and that’s how I got involved in student organizations.” She became an orientation leader and was selected for the UAB Ambassadors, a prestigious student leadership group. “Those experiences really helped me to plug in, and that’s what I tell the students I work with,” Hunter said.

Continuous improvement

Burns explains that UAB is constantly looking for ways to improve its UAB Birmingham Promise program based on feedback from students, parents, faculty and staff. This includes coordinating with other campus units serving Birmingham Promise students and, new this fall, adding four in-person meetups with Birmingham Promise mentors as part of students’ First Year Experience course.

Last year, Nakia Coleman, the former assistant director of Community Recruitment and UAB Birmingham Promise, and David Dada worked with students to launch the Birmingham Promise Student Council at UAB. Ashley Pender, one of the students who was a strong advocate for the council, is now serving as president. The goal of the council is to add non-academic events to the extensive roster of workshops and training offered to UAB Birmingham Promise students. “I strongly believe in the power of networking and just meeting new people,” Pender said. Helping to create these events was “one of the reasons I wanted to be president of the Student Council.”

“College is exciting”

Many students from the Birmingham area want to be sure they will find community and a true college experience if they attend their hometown school, Burns says. The answer to that, she explains, is just to come on campus for a tour. “When we talk with students from Birmingham City Schools, we tell them the same thing that we tell every prospective student: Once you are here, it’s such a different experience,” Burns said. “We’re this gem that is close to home, and there are so many opportunities to be invested in their field, the city and the community.”

Kamari Marzette says that was her experience. “I was nervous. Would I still feel like I’m at home?” she recalled. “But I can say that the Birmingham I am experiencing at UAB is totally different from the Birmingham at Ramsay or that I grew up in. Living on campus, surrounded by all your friends, with all of these opportunities — it’s so fun.”

That is the message Joshlynn Hunter now gets to take to students across Birmingham City Schools. “You will have a college experience, no matter what,” Hunter tells high school students. “Recruiting is really fun for me,” she said. “I get to go back to the different high schools and show them that college is exciting. I tell them, ‘Yes, it can be stressful doing the ACT or SAT and filling out forms. But once you get through that, you will go to orientation and see how fun it will be. You’re going to have a great time here.’”