Ann Arbor area parents react to scrapped Michigan Promise scholarship program

The merit-based Michigan Promise scholarship is no more.

In Washtenaw County, more than 8,000 students lost Promise cash for college. The state-funded program offered in-state students up to $4,000 for college and had been in place since 2007; this year, 96,000 Michigan students were due to receive $140 million.

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AnnArbor.com

Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the Republican-controlled Senate have been slinging blame over Promise and other contentious cuts to the state budget, which was finalized last week after a month-long deadline extension. Parents put politicking aside and wrote in to AnnArbor.com, letting us know how the slashed program would impact their families.

Here's what they had to say:

Ruth Gretzinger has a daughter, Elle, who is a sophomore at Eastern Michigan University:

"We're already just barely able to pay for her tuition between me, my ex-husband, and Elle herself, who works part-time...while carrying a full load at Eastern Michigan University. I'm doubly disgusted that they're doing this two months into the term. Cut them next year if you have to, but in the middle of the semester, when kids are depending on getting it? That's really low. Our state is really falling apart. My daughter is bright, wonderful kid with a lot to offer-but now her biggest dream is to get out of Michigan. Can't say that I blame her."

Parent Kathleen Allen writes:

"I have twin daughters at U-M who are freshman. As a single mother, we were really counting on these scholarships. This is just another indication of how bad Michigan is doing."

Ann Arbor parent Kurt Hagemeister has a sophomore at U-M. He hopes the state will put the $140 million saved by cutting the Michigan Promise program into areas that will help to build a healthy, diverse economy. He writes:

"It's very disappointing, but we'll be able to find the money elsewhere. I feel sorry for those families who aren't as fortunate. I understand the state is broke and must make difficult budget trade-offs. However, what's very discouraging is the poor fiscal management and decision-making of state government politicians over the last 20 years that led us to this sad state of affairs....Instead of encouraging new businesses to start up or relocate here, we're in effect, scaring them away. And cutting scholarship money for state residents doesn't help."

The Michigan Promise program's predecessor was former Gov. John Engler's Michigan Merit Award, a program that had offered up to $3,000 to in-state students who performed well on state standardized tests since 2000.

Juliana Keeping covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter