Gov. Jennifer Granholm proposes converting Michigan Promise scholarship to tax credit
Gov. Jennifer Granholm says she'll restore the Michigan Promise scholarship by converting it to a new, refundable tax credit.
The catch?
It will be available to students only if they complete their college degrees and work for one year in Michigan.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm
Al Goldis | Associated Press
Granholm also promised no new cuts to higher education funding for community colleges or universities "...because these institutions play a critical role in education and training our citizens for the new Michigan economy," she said today to a joint session of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees at the Capitol. Granholm, along with Budget Director Bob Emerson, presented the administration's 2011 Fiscal Year executive budget recommendation there today.
In October, Granholm signed a higher education budeget bill that cut the $140 million-a-year Michigan Promise scholarship program. The merit-based scholarship program had offered 96,000 in-state students up to $4,000 for college.
Beginning in 2007, students who had met or exceeded state standards on the Michigan Merit exams could earn $1,000 during their freshman year and $1,000 in their sophomore year from Promise grants. Students had to maintain a 2.5 grade point average by the end of their sophomore year to receive the remaining $2,000.
More coverage of her address:
This story will be updated.
Comments
happy
Fri, Feb 12, 2010 : 4:53 p.m.
Granholm's daughter is a senior at U-M. Let's find out where her job offers are coming from!
Skeb Bpow
Fri, Feb 12, 2010 : 9:34 a.m.
The State of Michigan should never have been in the scholarship business in the first place.
MjC
Fri, Feb 12, 2010 : 8:49 a.m.
I wonder if Jennifer Granholm would promiose to stay in Michigan after her term is over? I bet she'll be out of here faster thank John Engler.
ez12c
Fri, Feb 12, 2010 : 8:08 a.m.
This sounds like a good idea but the first problem I thought of will be finding a equitable job in Michigan. Seriously, both of my kids know that finding their first post-education job here is going to be very difficult. I haven't forgotten that Mike Bishop wants to force a 10% paycut on me ~ if so, this native Michigander is joining the caravan on I75 South.
skigrl
Fri, Feb 12, 2010 : 7:44 a.m.
And does Jennifer Granholm want the Michigan college graduates to wash dishes for that 1st year out of college??? I'm all for reinstating the Promise, especially since both of my kids worked hard for it and got it yanked out from under them.
a2grateful
Fri, Feb 12, 2010 : 5:56 a.m.
... and, they must work for free... for the "State" of MI...
Engineer
Thu, Feb 11, 2010 : 10:47 p.m.
Another democrat hoping to get college grads to stay in Michigan where they can tax them to the max and spend like drunken sailors. Time to vote the dems out and get some conservative values in place to turn this ship around.
MjC
Thu, Feb 11, 2010 : 9:14 p.m.
My daughter was "promised" tuition support for successfully completing all the State mandated school exams and by attending a Michigan college. She did so and instead the "promise" turned out to be nothing more than a lie. Now she's supposed to believe she'll receive a 'tax credit' if she stays in Michigan one year after graduation? I'd laugh if her student loan wasn't growing so fast. She doesn't need a college education to know one certain truth, that you should never trust Michigan politicians.
lorie
Thu, Feb 11, 2010 : 8:20 p.m.
Will they be able to find a job in MI? Probably not Is this another promise to be broken.
alarictoo
Thu, Feb 11, 2010 : 4:21 p.m.
There has to be a better way of both assisting promising students in need, and making staying to work in Michigan attractive. The sooner the legislature finally figures out (30 years late!) that Michigan needs desperately to diversify beyond the auto industry, and finds some real ways to attract other industry to Michigan, the better. If we don't find a way to assist promising students with need we will only accelerate the exodus from Michigan.
mw
Thu, Feb 11, 2010 : 3:20 p.m.
For eight years, Granholm has gotten this backwards. Pushing education before job creation does not work. It's like leaving the windows open in January and hoping it stays warm inside. Exactly! If we had a vibrant, growing economy, not only would we be retaining our own college grads, but we'd be attracting them from other states. Instead, the Granholm has focused on producing even more grads who pull up stakes and leave. Which means Michigan taxpayers end up subsidizing richer states by providing them newly minted graduates without those states having had to pay to educate them: "Young, bright and college-educated, the Michigan State University grad got her degree in 2006 and immediately moved to Chicago -- now home to the largest concentration of recent MSU grads in the nation." http://detnews.com/article/20090403/METRO/904030378/Half-of-university-grads-flee-Michigan
spaceman
Thu, Feb 11, 2010 : 2:43 p.m.
How pathetic is our State becoming - now we have to put a one year residence condition for a scholarship?? Either give the students the money or don't. To put handcuffs on them all is ridiculous.
Top Cat
Thu, Feb 11, 2010 : 1:15 p.m.
For eight years, Granholm has gotten this backwards. Pushing education before job creation does not work. It's like leaving the windows open in January and hoping it stays warm inside.
voiceofreason
Thu, Feb 11, 2010 : 12:37 p.m.
Not a bad idea, as long as pro-business policies are implemented in the meantime.
RobertinSaline
Thu, Feb 11, 2010 : 12:23 p.m.
And who is going to audit this pie in the sky program? The state doesn't have the resources to audit tax scofflaws and environmental violations, let alone a one-year employment history.
Macabre Sunset
Thu, Feb 11, 2010 : 12:12 p.m.
Here's the catch: there are no jobs for recent college graduates in the state of Michigan. Innovative budget cutting from the Gov. Who knew?
Liliana
Thu, Feb 11, 2010 : 11:36 a.m.
We need all the help we can get. This sounds like a possibility! http://graciouslivingdaybyday.com/