For those of you who have graduation on the horizon, you’re probably starting to think about what comes next. Master’s Degree? Take a year off? Travel the world? Give the workforce a try or? Maybe your next great adventure will be in London, New York, or in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Yes — you definitely read that last one right.
Last November, Tulsa, Oklahoma launched their Tulsa Remote program in an effort to help draw entrepreneurs, creatives, remote workers and tech-savvy individuals into the up-and-coming city. Through this program, selected candidates will be rewarded a $10,000 grant and a bunch of other benefits in exchange for working in the city for at least a year.
Some of the benefits included in Tulsa Remote are a housing stipend for a brand new and fully furnished apartment in Tulsa’s Arts District, free utilities for the first three months of rent and free membership to the 36 Degrees North co-working space, which comes equipped with free WiFi, desk space, conference rooms and tons of networking opportunities.
Tulsa Remote was started by the George Kaiser Family Foundation in an effort to attract new talent and create a more vibrant city. The foundation also works with Teach for America to help bring new teachers to Tulsa and sponsors fellowships for artists. Their hope is newcomers will choose to remain in Tulsa long term once the program is complete and help expand the community with new businesses, non-profits, innovation and ideas.
Those who are chosen for this exciting opportunity will receive an initial $2,500 for relocation expenses, a $500 stipend each month and a final payment of $1500 at the end of the program.
Tulsa isn’t the only place offering bright, young individuals the chance at a fresh start on their dime. Cities like Baltimore, St. Clair County, New Haven, Hamilton and more, are all offering financial incentives to help boost their populations.
It’s no secret that most post-grads dream of making it in big cities, but it pays to live in small cities. Literally.
A lot of smaller cities are falling behind in major sectors, like the tech industry, because their populations are constantly shrinking. To keep up, small cities have started targeting the millennials and offering them lucrative perks like cash handouts, student loan repayments, and/or housing incentives to get them to move. And while you may scoff at the idea of living in Hamilton or Oklahoma for a year, let’s remember their average rent price is about $550 a month, while the average rent in our city is about $2000 — and you’ll most likely never see bumper to bumper traffic again.
Starting off their careers in a small city that offers massive financial incentives may just be the answer millennials have been waiting for!