Sports

Kent State Surprises 193 Students in LeBron James' Program With Free Tuition, Room and Board

And the whole, glorious moment was caught on tape.

LeBron James addresses a crowd at the grand opening of the I Promise school
Image via Getty/Allison Farrand/NBAE
Getty

Students in LeBron James' I Promise program got one hell of a surprise.

On Wednesday, the oldest class of James' program was informed that they would be receiving free tuition to attend Ohio's Kent State University.

Kent State surprised the 193 recipients by telling them they were simply going on a tour of the campus. But when they arrived in a lecture hall, the students were asked to reach under their seats where they found an envelope. Inside the envelope were papers detailing the four years of free tuition and one year of free room and board the students will receive if they choose to attend Kent State.

The surprise was recorded by Kent State, and as expected, the students were overwhelmed with joy by the reveal. Meanwhile, the students' teachers saw the announcement via live-stream at a separate location.

Like any scholarship, there are stipulations the recipients must follow. The students have to maintain a required GPA, stay in good standing with the university, as well as participate in volunteer work.

Adding to the significance of this moment is the fact that these students are the first group of children incorporated into LeBron's I Promise program. Since then, the network has grown to include its own school. Like the children that attend the I Promise School, these students will also be able to attend the University of Akron for free.

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