A New Scholarship for a New Economy
The Commission recommends that Michigan, over the next decade,
forge a new compact with its residents: an expectation that all students will
achieve a postsecondary degree or credential coupled with a guarantee from the
state of financial support linked to the achievement of that goal.
From
the Report of the Cherry Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth,
December 2004.
Governor Granholm called for a New Merit Award scholarship in her 2005 State of
the State Address because she believes the evidence could not be more clear--the
states with the highest percentage of adults with college degrees have the fastest
growing economies, and the lowest rates of unemployment. In order to double the
number of college graduates in our state, the Governor wants all our young people
to know we expect them to continue their education beyond high school and we are
going to help them do it.
Our existing Merit Award sends students a different message. It awards scholarships
to less than half our students based solely on whether they demonstrate their
“merit” on the standardized tests they typically take in 11th grade.
Those who score too low are left to fend for themselves, burdened by the idea
that they are not “college material.”
The Governor’s New Merit proposal allows all students to earn a $4,000
scholarship--enough to pay the tuition bill for an associate’s degree
at a Michigan community college—and puts a college degree within the reach
of every young person in our state. Coupled with the new high school curriculum
the Governor fought for and the new high school assessment that will give every
student a college admission score, the New Merit Award positions Michigan as
the state that can lead the nation in educational attainment and the economic
growth it promotes.
Here are the key features of the Governor’s New Merit proposal.
- Beginning with the high school class of 2007, students can use the $4,000
scholarship to attend any college or university in Michigan, public or private,
and a wide array of technical training programs.
- Students who do well on the high school assessment can earn half their
scholarship, $2,000, during their freshmen and sophomore years and earn the
remaining $2,000 by successfully completing two years of post-secondary education,
earning an associate’s degree, junior status at a 4-year institution
or technical certification.
- Students who do not receive a qualifying score on the assessment test can
earn their entire $4,000 scholarship by successfully completing two years
of post-secondary education. They will be able to demonstrate their “merit”
by earning the post secondary credentials that employers demand.
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