Michigan Promise Scholarship May Be Cut
In an interesting turn of events, state legislators are considering cutting the Michigan Promise Scholarship completely as a means to an end of eliminating $150 to $200 million in state higher education spending.
The Legislative Commission on Government Efficiency has the program square in their sights primarily because the current program is not based on financial need. Students from families in all income brackets can benefit from the grant, a fact that we believe show how out of touch they truly are with a little place called Reality.
Students are often put in the position of paying for their own education no matter what economic means their families possess. And in these difficult economic times, not every family that seems to be financially sound is so. A decision to cut this program will have a unfortunate impact on students who wish to go to college, but cannot receive grant money to do so because their parents made poor financial decisions over the years.
Interestingly, what the commission seems to be looking at is a symptom of the larger problem of higher education in Michigan. As institutions continue to raise tuition by double digit percentages each year to fund things such as salary increases and benefits packages, the quality of the education that they’re providing continues to decline. Students continue to need more and more assistance to get through college without the yoke of incredible student loan payments on the way to their first job.
Granholm promised it - in four years, you’re going to be blown away. Well she’s delivered. We’re all completely speechless.
Filed Under Michigan Promise News |
Tagged With michigan higher education, michigan promise cut, michigan promise grant
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11 Responses to “Michigan Promise Scholarship May Be Cut”
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My daughter took the math portion of the MME 3 times in order to qualify for the Promise Scholarship. I was so proud of her for pushing forward to do so. Our family does not qualify for financial aid so any scholarship we can get is better than nothing. The cost of attending college is huge. My husband is a GM retiree and we are getting our benefits slashed, including some assistance they offered to dependents, not much, but again, better than nothing. If this Promise Scholarship is “cut” out as well, the Middle Class AGAIN is getting screwed. We are in the “middle” in that we make too much (which is not a lot) to qualify for anything, however, we are living paycheck to paycheck. Just because we have paid off our bills every month and are not in debt, we are getting punished for doing so. My son has one more year of high school before he goes to college. How are we supposed to pay for it? I would have loved to pay %100 of their college tuition, and had always planned to do so, if the economy didn’t tank and if we didn’t lose 1/2 of our 401K’s. That has changed everything in how we have to plan our future. Unfortunately, the kids are getting hurt in that now they have to worry about something they didn’t think they had to worry about, besides what they are going to be in the future. Now they will have to worry about how long they will have to pay for it and will there be a job for them when they get out? I have lived in Michigan my entire life and have never thought of moving elsewhere. If my kids have to employ themselves out of state, I will follow them wherever they go. PLEASE DO NOT CUT THE MICHIGAN PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP - a lot of us “Middle Class” citizens need as much help as we can get since there are no other means of support for us!
My name is Jamie Edmonds and I am a reporter with WILX-TV Channel 10 in Lansing. We’re doing a story tonight(6/16) on how the legislature could eliminate this program next year and I’m just trying to get in touch with a local student who might be affected.
If anyone is interested in talking about it. Call the station at 517-394-9310. I wasn’t sure if anyone would be, but I thought it was worth a shot.
Regards,
Jamie Edmonds
WILX-TV
Lansing, MI
You’re right, I am COMPLETELY speechless. I am also angry that my child, who has worked EXTREMELY hard to attain the requirements to obtain the Michigan PROMISE scholarship should have it pulled out from under her. What kind of promise our we talking about? Not only is the State breaking its “promise” but the state will also be taking away her “promising” career and future lifestyle, which will definitely not be in Michigan, when and if she graduates collge.
Cutting this merit-based scholarship is insane! Finally, there is something the middle-income family student qualifies for. Tuition costs are skyrocketing, and many bright students and their families are responsible to pay for their entire education just because their family works for a living! By takeing this hard-earned scholarship money from the middle-income family could cause those students additional financial hardship. This two-income, hard-working family is tired of getting the short end of the stick! We can’t qualify for Pell Grants nor subsidized student loans. By the time our children graduate from college, we will be in a financial bind. Please, keep this scholarship to help ease the burden of deserving students.
We are one of those families that have provided some funding for our children for college, one of whom is soon to qualify for the promise after 2 years of college, the other, just starting and immediately eligible. We have done everything “by the book” financially and would appreciate if the legislatrue would stand by this “PROMISE”. As the choice of word implied, this was to be a promise if the students did well in school, not the Michigan “Maybe” or “If funding permits”. As someone who not only works for a state entity as well as a school board member, I feel it’s time for higher education to make painful financial decisions (cuts in the budget in order to balance it) that our district is making. LIVE BY THE PROMISE, DO NOT TAKE IF OFF THE BOOKS! Or decide that it is no longer available after 2009, that would be the ethical thing to do.
Well, this isn’t the first time that I’ve lost scholarship money that has been awarded by the State of Michigan. For two years in a row, I received an award letter for the MCS, only to receive an additional letter two weeks later to inform me that I would not be receiving the scholarship. I am now going into my final year of undergrad, and was counting on this money. It wouldn’t surprise me if she takes it away, but breaks my heart for all the students in my position around the state of Michigan. And yet the state continues to pour out money to support meaningless things. We are the future. Michigan needs to think more about supporting higher education.
Thanks for messing more things up, Granholm! It’s time for you to get out of Michigan! I hope you enjoyed your little vacation last week on Michigan’s dollars. Maybe you could have helped a couple of college kids out with the money you spent on that trip. We love you!
I am beyond any explanation of mad at this point! My daughter, like thousands of others, received this scholarship. It is the ONLY thing she got for being a dedicated, loyal, hardworking student for almost 14 yrs of her life! We make “to much money” to get any other help and aren’t poor enough to get it handed to her. Not to mention the competition is so strong for other scholarships that it was almost impossible for her to get any others offered. I know that a lot of students who gradute with her got numerous scholarships, well, TAKE THEIR MICHIGAN PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP SINCE THEY HAVE OTHERS, and leave my daughters alone! when are the people of this state, better yet, country, gonna get enough of this crap.
Why would young s who have worked hard to obtain these “Promised” funds believe anything Michigan representatives say?? Didn’t you cut these same funds just three years ago?? My grandson was accepted at university, but because of family finances, decided to go to community college. He is counting on the Michigan Promise funds to be able to go to college. I ask that you set an example for students in Michigan and be promise keepers instead of promise breakers. Thank you. The undersigned are all voters…
Charlotte Dalton
Ralph Dalton
Russell Dalton
Becky Dalton
Jesse Dalton (just received his voters card)
I would appreciate a personal contact on the resending of the Michigan Promise.
My number is 269 838 2431. Leaving a comment on a website says you really don’t want to address the issue and you are sending me on run a round wild goose chase so you don’t have to address the issue with real people. I am in contact with Senator Alan Cropsey’s office until I get some real answers. Wendy
Please do not cut the Michigan Promise. I am unemployed and the Michigan Promise has helped my now junior at Western Michigan University afford school. WMU has just raised their rates just like the other Michigan universities. Please don’t take the PROMISE you made when he was a senior in high school- away.