The Michigan Promise scholarship awards eligible Michigan high school students up to $4000 for completing at least two years of post-secondary education. In order to receive this scholarship, students participated in the Michigan Merit Exam, one of Michigan’s most famous standardized tests.
As many students know, funding for the Michigan Promise Scholarship has been cut, leaving an unfulfilled promise and unhappy students who relied heavily upon this scholarship.
Along with the thousands of Michigan students who were once awarded this scholarship, Adrian College student Ashley Greer was affected first-hand by its loss.
“My family lives pay check to pay check,” said Greer. “A big portion of my tuition is scholarships and grants, one of which was the Michigan Promise Scholarship.”
According to Greer, the loss of the Michigan Promise Scholarship is just as devastating, if not more so, to her parents than to her.
“For a parent to have to bear the news of withdrawal from college because of finances is absolutely heart breaking,” she said. “And our family is already maxed out on Financial Aid loans.”
Parents and students have been protesting the financial cuts to this program ever since it has been taken away.
Financially, AC has been virtually un-phased.
“We packaged students based on their financial need without the Michigan Promise Scholarship,” said Andrew Spohn, director of financial aid at AC. “It had very little affect on us, except for the occasional question from a student or parent.”
Unfortunately, the college cannot do anything to compensate for this loss financially.
“We counseled [parents] to make payments, as if the program was not going to be funded,” he said. “Then, if for some reason it did get funded they would receive a refund.”