JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The city of Jacksonville, the Duval County School Board and four area colleges are finalizing details of a major commitment to parents and students of underprivileged families: paying the tuition for any child who qualifies for college, but can't afford to attend.

It's called the Jacksonville Commitment, and will require funding from Jacksonville government, along with the University of North Florida, Florida Community College, Edward Waters College or Jacksonville University.

"We think we can put together a plan that basically says, 'If you can get in, get out of high school, one of these four places, you are going to have a free ride all the way through,'" UNF President John Delaney said.

"So what we got is a total community effort here, saying we are going to take off the table the question of money for a youngster that is qualified and wants to go to college," said former Sheriff Nat Glover, who is now a special envoy for higher education for UNF.

The details of who will pay and exactly how much it will cost are still being worked out.

Mayor John Peyton has committed $1 million a year to the project, but that will take City Council approval at a time when city funds are expected to be severely challenged by the property-tax amendment that passed last week.

"I just can't imagine an expenditure that is more needed," Peyton's spokeswoman, Susie Wiles, said Monday. "Frankly, the timing is just awful ... given the passage of Amendment 1."

While city funding is pledged, if not guaranteed, the Duval County School Board has not made a financial commitment. They hope to be able to hire special counselors for each high school to find and steer the kids to this project.

"How we really started this thing is (by asking), "How do we keep kids in school? How do we keep them away from crime? How do we raise the percentage of students in this community that have college degrees?" Delaney said. "It elevates the economy, it makes (this a better) place to live and, I think, it makes an incredible statement of the community and incredible commitment."

To be eligible, a student must first have the academic qualifications to be accepted to the programs involved. While its stated goal to help students attend college who could not otherwise afford to go, the details of who would qualify financially are still being worked out.