SPECIAL MICHIGAN PROMISE EDITION 

Governor Notifies Students about Status of Michigan Promise Scholarship

The governor is sending letters to almost 350,000 students updating them on the status of the Michigan Promise scholarship.

In the letter, the governor notes that just under 100,000 students were expected to use up to $4,000 from the Promise scholarship to pay for college or technical training this year, and an even greater number are eligible to use it in the future.

On September 30, the Michigan House passed HB 5403 that would restore the Promise scholarship for this academic year.  The governor is asking students to contact their state senators and express their views about the Promise.

Key messages:

Students and others who want to restore the Promise scholarship can contact their state senator by going to the Senate Web site at http://senate.michigan.govand clicking on the "Find Your Senator" link, or by calling 517-373-2400.
Bipartisan majorities in both the Senate and the House approved the creation of the Michigan Promise scholarship in 2006.  Promises are meant to be kept, not broken.  It's time to restore the Promise. 

GVSU President Haas Says Education Must Be Supported During These Difficult Times

This week and next the governor will be visiting Michigan college campuses to stand with students and educators in an effort to restore the Michigan Promise scholarship.  One of the governor's stops will be Grand Valley State University.

On November 5, the following opinion piece from Grand Valley State University President Thomas J. Haas appeared in the university's student newspaper, the Grand Valley Lanthorn:

Real promise is education

The state of Michigan is in the most desperate financial condition in postwar history.  State tax revenue has dropped dramatically, driven by the collapse of auto manufacturing and unemployment.

The amount of money projected for next year's state general fund is, adjusted for inflation, at 1965 levels.  This is unprecedented.  As state tax revenues fall, state government has been cutting services to which we've long been accustomed.

Reducing the size of government is never easy, and it represents unique challenges for elected bodies.  Tempers grow short; suspicions grow long.  Everything is on the table.  But as we struggle to stabilize the present we risk our future by the mixed signals being sent to Michigan's youth.

If we know one thing about the pickle we're in, it's that education is the way out.  This pathway isn't debatable - education after high school is the new normal.  However, students and their families can be forgiven if they are confused by what they see and hear about higher education funding.

State financial aid programs, such as the Promise Grant and the State Competitive Scholarship have been created to make college more affordable, but now students have been told that this vital state aid has been cancelled, after the school year has started.  Is this how a state that believes in the importance of higher education should behave?

Attending college, even in difficult financial times, is more important than ever.  It serves no one to have higher education seen as just another government program to fund or not as changing revenues dictate.  Higher education is the essential ingredient in our new economy.  Our business leaders know this.  They are clear that their survival depends on a diverse and educated workforce. 

We need to support education beyond our words with deeds.  If our leadership continues to disinvest in educational opportunity all of us are left behind and so is our state.  A partnership requires partners. 

Surely we can agree that in these tough times, the one thing we shouldn't argue about is opportunity for and encouragement to the next generation. 

Governor's Op-Ed on Education Appears in Sunday's Detroit Free Press

In an op-ed in Sunday's Detroit Free Press, the governor called for a stable stream of revenue for K-12 education in Michigan and for restoring the Michigan Promise scholarship. 

The governor said, "Whether it's in our K-12 schools or in our colleges and universities, we must commit Michigan to educational greatness, not mediocrity.  Every economist agrees that if we want a vibrant, diverse economy, we must have a skilled, educated workforce.  That's why I am joining with students, parents, educators and citizens across our great state to fight for a stable stream of revenue to ensure that goal is met.  There's no more important issue in our state today if we want to promote economic recovery and more good-paying jobs in Michigan."

Following is the link to the entire op-ed: http://www.freep.com/article/20091115/OPINION05/911150434/1322/Education-cuts-put-recovery-at-risk 

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