Michigan scholarships may be cut pending an upcoming budget deadline
Amidst the struggling economy currently present in Michigan, higher education may be in jeopardy if the decision is made to cut state of Michigan funded Scholarships from the state budget.
According to the Lansing State Journal, “The Promise Grants give students who did well in school the opportunity to attend a Michigan community college, university or vocational program by providing up to $4,000 over the course of their education.”
The state budget deficit currently stands at $1.8 billion and if this scholarship is cut will save the state $140 million. This is causing a backlash by many due to the fact that many students will now have trouble paying for a college education.
A decision is expected to be reached by the Oct. 1 deadline. Students who currently rely on this funding for their education now have an uncertain future and may not know the outcome for a month or more.
The Detroit News recently stated in an online article that, “More than 96,000 students will head to college campuses in the next few weeks still unsure of whether the state will honor their Michigan Promise Scholarship awards.”
The same article also said that the state senate voted in June to discontinue the program, while the house and governor’s versions of the higher education budget want to include funding for this scholarship.
The decision that will affect this program will have to be settled by these three bodies by Oct. 1.