The deficit stands at $1.4 billion dollars, and the $140 million in funds set aside for the scholarship is a tempting, and more importantly, EASY target for legislators who are seemingly more interested in taking their summer vacation than doing what’s right for the state.

My advice is to contact your state government representatives and let them know how you feel.  Most of the 96,000 students who will be cut out of this program represent one vote, their parents represent one or two more, and any relative that you can muster is yet another.  The numbers add up quickly, and let’s face it, the only things that matter to 90% of the politicians out there are money and votes.

So the problem we have on hand now is that there is a bill on the floor of the Michigan House of Representatives to eliminate the Michigan Promise Scholarship.  It has already passed the Senate.  If you, or someone you know, is considering attending college in the next year or two you might want to sharpen your pencil and write a letter to your state-level rep voicing your opinion.  And, just so you’re in the know, the reason they’re targeting this is because they want their share of federal stimulus money, and to get it they cannot cut direct aid to state universities and colleges.  By cutting indirect aid, they still toe the line.  Great.

So, to reiterate, if you’re concerned about this end-around by our elected officials, send them a letter or give them a call.  Heck, send a note to Granholm while you’re at it and express your extreme displeasure at her inability to deliver on her campaign promises and subsequent abuse of Michigan high-school students.

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.

To claim the Michigan Promise scholarship installment payment for use in the 2008-09 academic year, an eligible student must certify his/her scholarship by November 15, 2008. To claim up to a $2,000 final payment (for those who received installment payments), or to claim the full $4,000 for those who did not qualify for the installment payments, students should visit the Web site www.Michigan.gov/promise for an application form. Students are responsible for notifying the Office of Scholarships and Grants of a change in their college choice.

Students must initiate use of their scholarship within two years of high school graduation and all installment funds must be fully utilized within four years of initiation. Students in the class of 2008, who initiate their scholarship in the 2008-09 academic year, must utilize all installment funds by the end of the 2011-12 academic year. Students, who initiate their scholarship in the 2009-10 academic year, must utilize all installment funds by the end of the 2012-13 academic year. Students must submit their application for final payment no later than November 15 of the academic year following their last year of eligibility.

To be eligible for the scholarship, students must:
• Take the state assessment test1.
• Have not received a Merit Award under the Merit Award Act.
• Must certify his or her eligibility for a scholarship installment payment.
• Enroll at an approved Michigan postsecondary institution or a military service academy within two years
of becoming a high school graduate (two-year period would be extended for service in armed forces or
Peace Corps).
• Complete the postsecondary education requirements (associate degree, two-year certificate, vocational
education program2 or 50% of the academic requirements for a bachelor’s degree, which is 60 semester or
90 term credits) within four years of initial enrollment.
• Achieve a cumulative college GPA of 2.5 (for students completing vocational education programs that do
not record grades; proof of course completion is required).
• Be a high school graduate or have passed the GED or any other graduate equivalency exam approved by
the State Board of Education.
• Be a Michigan resident.

While conducting a class exercise, the students split up into a mock state legislature and house of representatives to attempt to pass a bill that would improve the scholarship.  Michigan legislatures caught wind of the class project and invited the students to present some of their ideas before the committee that was working on exactly that same issue at the time.  The students did so, and many of their ideas were integrated into the existing framework that the committee had created for the Michigan Promise Scholarship.

As part of this change, the award amount was increased from $2500 to $4000.  And as I’m sure everyone is also aware, there are still ties between the Michigan Promise Scholarship and the Michigan Lottery.  So, interestingly enough, students who were furthering their education via the vehicle of the Merit scholarship used that education to change the award for the better.

Second, make sure you take the Michigan Merit Exam during your junior year in high school.  Why your junior year?  If you score below a Level 2 in any of the required components, you can retake the exam during your senior year and make up the difference.  This gives you two chances to meet the minimum test score needed to be considered for the scholarship.  Also, ensure that you have not received a merit award under the Merit Award Act.  If you have, you are not eligible for consideration for the Michigan Promise Scholarship.

Upon award of the scholarship, recipients have two years to enroll in a postsecondary institution that is approved by the State of Michigan.  Please note, all military academies (USMA, USAFA, USNA, USCGA) are approved institutions even if they are not specifically listed.  If you decide to enroll in the Armed Forces or the Peace Corps, you can request an extension of the two year limit.

Once enrolled, you have four years to complete the requirements for your postsecondary program.  If you’re enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program, you need only complete 50% of the requirements.  All other certificate, degree, or vocational programs must be complete within 4 years.

While enrolled, you must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above.  In the event that your program does not grade on a conventional scale, proof of completion is still required and can be worked out on a case-by-case basis.

Receipt of the award is broken down by timeline as follows:

Students can receive up to half of the Michigan Promise Scholarship in two installments of $1000 each in the first two years of postsecondary education.  To receive the final payment of $2000, students must complete the “Michigan Promise Scholarship Application for Final Payment” form and submit it to the Michigan Student Aid Office.  This can be done online.  All requirements for the award must be completed prior to receiving the final installment (i.e. program completion, or 50% completion in the case of a bachelor’s degree).

Finally, note that many people refer to the Michigan Promise Scholarship as the Michigan Promise Award.  The terms are used somewhat interchangeably even though the “award” suffix is a carry-over from the Michigan Merit Award.  They are in fact one in the same, and there is not a separate award for each.

The Michigan Promise Scholarship is a direct replacement for the Michigan Merit Award established in 1999 as part of Public Act 94.  As part of the Michigan scholarship program, the Michigan Merit Award provided as much as $3,000 for high achievement on the Michigan Educational Assessment Program tests.

To qualify the Michigan Promise Scholarship, a student must score a Level 1 or Level 2 on all sections of the Michigan Merit Examination during either their junior or senior year.  As an improvement on the Michigan Merit Award program, the Michigan Promise Scholarship awards up to $4,000 to Michigan high school graduates for educational expenses at any approved institution with up to half payable during their first two years of follow-on education.  Once enrolled in the approved program, the student must maintain a GPA of 2.5 of higher for the entire 4 years.  In the case where the program is not 4 years long, the scholarship is pro-rated for the shorter duration.