In radio address, governor also asks people to contact their state senators in support of Michigan Promise scholarships  

LANSING - In her weekly radio address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today called on the Michigan Senate to take action and keep the Michigan Promise scholarship, the state's first universal college scholarship.

"This year, 96,000 students and their parents banked on the Michigan Promise," Granholm said.  "They budgeted for the money promised to help them pay for school."

The governor noted that the higher education budget passed by the legislature for this fiscal year included no money for the Promise scholarships.  Since that time, the Michigan House has approved a bill that could restore funding for the Promise scholarship this academic year.  But that legislation now languishes in the Michigan Senate.

"The Promise has been broken," Granholm said.  "Not only does breaking the Promise hurt students who were rightfully expecting their scholarship money, it also damages Michigan's economic future.  We need a workforce equipped with the education and training needed for 21st century jobs.  We need to keep the Promise."

Granholm said she'll be visiting college campuses the next two weeks where she will stand with students and educators to keep the Promise scholarship.  She asked people to contact their state senators and say we must keep the Promise.

"At this crucial point in Michigan history, we can't afford to shortchange our students," Granholm said.  "They are our future.  They're Michigan's future.  We need to invest in them through the Michigan Promise scholarship.  Contact your state senator.  Tell them they need to keep the Promise."

The governor's weekly radio address is released each Friday morning and may be heard on broadcast stations across the state.  The address is available for download on the governor's Web site at www.michigan.gov/gov together with a clip of the quote above.  The radio address also is available as a podcast on the Web site as well as on iTunes and via RSS feed for general distribution to personal MP3 players and home computers.  Links to the audio files and text of today's address follow.

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm

Radio Address - Michigan Promise

Full:  http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov223Full_300551_7.mp3 

Edited:  http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov223Edit_300552_7.mp3         

Quote:  http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov223Quote_300553_7.mp3      

Hi, this is Governor Jennifer Granholm.

Promises should be kept, not broken.  It's time for the Michigan Senate to take action and keep the Michigan Promise.

The Michigan Promise is the state's first universal college scholarship.  It is a cornerstone of our administration's long-term economic plan for our state, a plan that includes doubling the number of college graduates.  Starting with the high school seniors who graduated in 2007, every Michigan student who attends college or technical school is eligible for a $4,000 scholarship.

This year, 96,000 students and their parents banked on the Michigan Promise.  They budgeted for the money promised to help them pay for school.

Unfortunately, the higher education budget that was passed by the legislature for this fiscal year included no money for the Promise scholarships.  Since that time, the Michigan House has approved a bill which would restore the Promise scholarship for this academic year.  But that legislation now languishes in the Michigan Senate.  The Promise has been broken.

Not only does breaking the Promise hurt students who were rightfully expecting their scholarship money, it also damages Michigan's economic future.  We need a workforce equipped with the education and training needed for 21st century jobs.  We need to keep the Promise.

During the next two weeks I'll be visiting college campuses across Michigan to talk with students and educators about the Promise scholarship.  My stops will include Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, CMU, Western Michigan University, Grand Valley State, Saginaw Valley State and Oakland Community College.

At those campuses I'll be talking about everything we're doing in state government to create jobs and transform Michigan's economy.  And that the most important, long-term strategy for transforming Michigan's economy, bar none, is education.

Our ability to reshape and diversify our state's economy is wholly dependent on having a skilled, educated workforce.  The Michigan Promise scholarship helps students acquire this education and training, and it's central to our economic diversification strategy.

I'll continue to fight for the Promise scholarship, and I invite you to add your voice to the fight.  Here's how you can help.

Contact your state senator and say we must keep the Promise.  If you don't know who your senator is, you can find out by checking the Senate Web site at senate.michigan.gov.  Or you can call 517-373-2400.  That phone number again is 517-373-2400.

At this crucial point in Michigan history, we can't afford to shortchange our students.  They are our future. They're Michigan's future.  We need to invest in them through the Michigan Promise scholarship.  Contact your state senator.  Tell them they need to keep the Promise.  Thank you.

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