LANSING - Michigan students won a major victory last night with the passing of the Michigan Promise Grant, Representative Dudley Spade (D-Tipton) announced today. The award, which replaces the Michigan Merit Scholarship, grants Michigan students $4,000, up from the current $2,500, after completing two years of community college, university or vocational training. Students would be required to maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.5 during that time to receive the award.
"This program will expand opportunities for our young people as well as bolster our economy," Rep. Spade said. "Education and training are crucial to individuals and families in this era of global competition for jobs. The Michigan Promise Grant is one of the keys to making Michigan a better place to live, work and run a business. By opening the doors to higher education and post-secondary training for more Michigan students we help prepare them for the jobs of the 21st century. Giving our students the opportunity to earn a college degree will build a stronger and smarter workforce, making our state more attractive for businesses."
A strengthened scholarship program has been one of several proposals that have been on the radar screen since the release of the Cherry Commission Report in December 2004. The Commission, which was charged with identifying strategies to double the number of Michigan residents with degrees and other postsecondary credentials of value within ten years, recommended expanding and revising the former Merit Scholarship program as a way to increase participation in and completion of higher education and post-secondary degrees. This, in combination with an April 2004 Brookings Institution report which warns that America will not be able to hold onto the highest paying jobs in the world if the number of college graduates with degrees in physical sciences, math and engineering continue on a downward trend, spurred the legislature to move quickly on passing the Michigan Promise Grant.
The graduating class of 2007 will be the first group eligible for the Michigan Promise Grant. The Promise Grant would not prevent students from receiving other federal or state awards.
"Businesses have never had so many choices about where to locate and they are seeking states and countries with a well-qualified, highly skilled workforce that can hit the ground running," Rep. Spade said. "By providing every child in Michigan with the opportunity to earn a college degree, we can make Michigan competitive in the global market of the 21st Century. A lack of money should not prevent our citizens from realizing their dreams and prevent our state from reaching its potential as a hub for education, technology, and business."
--30--