$4,000 Approved for Scholarship

Michigan college students will be eligible for a new Michigan Promise scholarship of $4,000 under legislation signed by Governor Jennifer Granholm Thursday, December 21. Beginning with this year’s high school seniors, students will now be eligible for the scholarships that replace the current Merit Award of $2,500.

Every student who attends college or technical training can earn a $4,000 scholarship at any two- or four-year school in Michigan, public or private, or technical training programs.

Students who score well on the high school assessment will receive $1,000 during their freshman and sophomore years and earn the remaining $2,000 after successfully completing two years of postsecondary education. Students who do not receive qualifying scores on the high school assessment can earn the entire $4,000 scholarship by successfully completing two years of post-secondary education. Students must maintain a 2.5 grade point average in their post-secondary institution to earn a Michigan Promise scholarship when they reach that two-year point.

“The Michigan Promise scholarship opens the doors of education to every student in Michigan,” said Governor Granholm. “A $4,000 scholarship makes earning a college degree or technical certification a real possibility for every student. It’s an amazing opportunity for our students and a critical necessity for our economy.”

Making college more affordable was a key recommendation of the Governor’s Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth, chaired by Lieutenant Governor John D. Cherry, Jr. The commission, which was charged with identifying strategies to double the number of college graduates in Michigan in the next decade, recommended that the state create a “new compact with its residents: an expectation that all students will achieve a post-secondary degree or credential coupled with a guarantee from the state of financial support linked to the achievement of that goal.”

The governor called the Michigan Promise scholarship a critical step for Michigan's economy, as the states with the highest number of college graduates have the lowest unemployment rates and the fastest-growing economies. The measure is coupled with rigorous high school curriculum standards recently signed into law.

The bills signed were Senate Bill 1335, sponsored by Senator Deborah Cherry (D-Burton), and House Bill 6302, sponsored by Representative Tupac Hunter (DDetroit).

The Michigan Promise was first proposed by the governor in 2005. Governor Granholm signed the legislation at E.A. Johnson High School in Mount Morris.