Charlynn White, a senior at Pittsburgh's Perry High School, wants to go to college next year and hopes the city and school district will help cover the cost. After all, they said they would.

"We were hoping for big things, because that will be a big help," she said yesterday of The Pittsburgh Promise, a commitment made in December by schools Superintendent Mark Roosevelt and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.

Ms. White was at the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Downtown, for a ceremony dedicating students, school employees and the city to excellence in education for the school year that starts today for most of the district's nearly 30,000 children.

Talk repeatedly turned to last year's promise that students graduating next spring and beyond would be guaranteed enough money to go to college. Though it would cost millions of dollars, the mayor and superintendent can so far show only a $10,000 commitment by the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers.

"Neither the mayor, nor I, have backed off this one iota," said Mr. Roosevelt. "We are in very significant talks with folks about getting the promise funded."

"I think that we're continuing to have discussions, and nobody said we'd be standing here at the end of August with money in the bank," said Mr. Ravenstahl. "It's an effort that's going to take time, it's going to take dialogue."

Neither Mr. Roosevelt nor Mr. Ravenstahl would say who they're asking to fund the promise, other than to suggest that the list included a variety of foundations, corporations and individuals capable of writing seven-figure checks.

"We're not expecting to have a big-dollar dinner to get this funded," said the superintendent. "We have made a considerable amount of progress in terms of defining how the promise will work."

The structure by which it will be managed, though, is not yet completely defined. Earlier this year the district started the process of hiring a promise manager, but it then suspended that effort.

Consulting firm McKinsey & Co. is working pro bono to help predict the price tag of fulfilling the promise, and Mr. Roosevelt said initial research suggests it might cost $3 million in its first year, and more in later years.

McKinsey & Co. also is helping to define the promise's terms -- for instance, how long a student would have to be in the district to get aid, and what the maximum stipend would be.

The district also has two staffers, called residents, spending part of their time on the promise. One, Eddie Jones, a Schenley High graduate, former management consultant and permanent district employee, is partially paid for by the Broad Foundation, which runs the school for superintendents that Mr. Roosevelt attended.

That foundation, though, won't be funding the promise, a spokeswoman said, because it's outside of Broad's mission.

Mr. Roosevelt said the fund raising is "a huge hurdle."

Foundation leaders with a history of backing district initiatives either did not return calls or were noncommittal yesterday.

"We're still awaiting the good planning work that the district and the city have under way toward what could be a very outstanding program," said Gregg Behr, executive director of The Grable Foundation, which gives away $10 million to $12 million a year.

If the city and district apply to The Grable Foundation, it may take three to four months for the trustees to make a decision, he said.

Time is of the essence. Most students hoping to go on to college will be lining up their financial aid packages early next year. The promise is supposed to cover the gap between the cost of college and other available sources of financial aid.

Another aspect of the promise, an "infrastructure" in high schools and middle schools geared toward preparing students for college, won't be in place this year, Mr. Roosevelt said.

Mr. Ravenstahl faces the challenge of going hat in hand for both the promise and the city operating budget, which relies on $4.4 million a year from the nonprofit sector that is guaranteed only through this year.