Thursday, July 25, 2024

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed the $23 billion education budget for fiscal year
2025 into law. The Michigan Promise Zones Association applauds changes to the Michigan Achievement Scholarship,
including the creation of the Community College Guarantee, to financially support more Michigan students. The
budget also includes a $8.5 million appropriation for MPZA.

Beginning in fall 2024, the Community College Guarantee gives Michigan students who graduated in 2023 or later an
opportunity to earn a tuition-free associate degree or certificate from an in-district community or tribal college. This
pathway covers in-district tuition, contact hours, and mandatory fees. An additional $1,000 award for living expenses
will be provided to all Pell-eligible students.

“For more than 10 years, the Michigan Promise Zones Association has been a leader in providing scholarship
opportunities to address some of the most critical problems we face in our communities: helping disadvantaged
students close the achievement gap, assisting cities in retaining and attracting middle-class families, and drawing
knowledge-based businesses to distressed communities,” said Megan Byard-Karaba, chair of MPZA and career and
college readiness program director at Muskegon Area ISD & Muskegon Area CTC. “We welcome this investment from
the State of Michigan to grow this work and ensure every student gets the support needed to go to college and earn a
degree or certificate.”

MPZA comprises 13 Promise Zones located throughout Michigan. To comply with the requirements of the state’s
Promise Zone statutes, they must provide scholarships to all students who both live within the zone’s boundaries and
graduate from a high school located within those boundaries. All students who qualify for the scholarship must have a
tuition-free path to, at minimum, an associate degree at one or more higher education institutions. The work of MPZA
is aligned with Michigan’s Sixty by 30 attainment goal.

The expansion of the Community College Guarantee will supplement Promise Zone funding, allowing more students
access to critical financial aid for college. All students who seek Promise Zone scholarships must apply for federal
student aid by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This determines if the student is eligible for
need-based aid, including federal Pell Grants. Once the student’s total need-based grants are determined, students
receive a Promise Zone scholarship to pay the remainder of their bill for tuition and mandatory fees.

“The creation and growth of the Promise Zones in Michigan is an example of local communities working together with
the state legislature to fill a critical gap in college access and success,” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, executive director of
Michigan College Access Network. “The Community College Guarantee will enable Promise Zones to support even
more students — especially low-income students, first-generation college-going students, and students of color — and
ensure that they have clear pathways and sufficient financial support to access postsecondary education and earn
degrees and certificates.”