Starting in the fall 2021 semester, the University of New Orleans will begin offering the Privateer Pledge, a promise that the University will fill the unmet financial need for tuition and fees of eligible Jefferson Parish students. This marks the expansion of a program that was piloted in January for Orleans Parish students.

The pledge now applies to both Jefferson and Orleans Parish residents who graduate from a public or private high school in the parish. In order to qualify, students must be admitted as a freshman to the University of New Orleans and must have filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). They must also be eligible for a Pell Grant and their annual family income cannot exceed $60,000. Students will need to be enrolled full time by June 1 for the fall 2021 semester.

“We’ve had such a wonderful response to The Privateer Pledge with Orleans Parish students, which is why we are so excited to be able to expand the program to students from Jefferson Parish,” said President John Nicklow. “We know the difference a UNO degree can make in the lives of our students and their families, and our hope is the pledge will make that degree more attainable. It’s our promise to eligible students in both parishes that we will marshal all of the federal, state and institutional aid necessary to fill any financial gap for tuition and fees.”   

In order to maintain the award, students must remain enrolled full-time (minimum of 12 hours) and keep a GPA of 2.0 or higher.

The Privateer Pledge covers four years of unmet need for tuition and fees or until graduation, whichever happens first. The pledge is not retroactive. For more information on the pledge and how to apply to the University of New Orleans, click here.