The Dallas County promise that was offered to Lakeview seniors this past October has now added two new schools to the program: Prairie View A&M University and Southern Methodist University (SMU).

The Dallas County promise is offered to over 30 high schools in the DFW area, including Lakeview. According to the Dallas County promise website, its goal is to provide all students in participating schools with an affordable path to college completion.

“There are future Dallas County leaders among the students attending high school in our community who may not get their best chance to lead because financial means is a barrier to an undergraduate college degree,” SMU associate vice president for enrollment management Wes Waggoner said in an interview with SMU’s “The Daily Campus.”

One of the new schools that have joined the Dallas Promise, SMU, will be offering five new scholarships and expanding its already existing scholarship program.

“Expanding eligibility for some of our existing scholarships, and joining the Dallas County Promise Program, is going to be a great way to help identify these students as high school seniors and give them an opportunity to attend and graduate from SMU,” Waggoner said.

Students who were planning on not attending college due to financial difficulties will now have an opportunity to earn a degree.

“It’s cool that they did that for us,” junior Christopher Lopez said. “Now I have a shot at going to college.”

Some students, like freshman Samuel Cervantes, say that they now won’t have to worry as much about college applications and scholarships.

“It’s relieving to know that they’re doing that for us,” Cervantes said. “I hope it’s still around by the time I graduate.”