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
Comments
Martin Church
Tue, Nov 3, 2009 : 1:11 p.m.
Debling you are right. We need to cut the additional fees and restructure the public schools. Why can't U of M and MSU and EMU run like the private schools. Hillsdale, does not accept public funds and runs a quality school without the extra junk. It's time to reevaluate the schools and what they are teaching and cut their budgets. Another area that can be cut is the funds for Babysitting services the state pays. it's more than the promise scholarships. Lets make it possible for the parents to stay home and take care of their own kids without the burden on the state. It is time to fire the state House and replace them with people who will cut the budget and allow the tax payers to keep more money in their pockets. After all if cutting 42% of taxes for film industry means increase jobs then we can do the same for the citizens of our community.
debling
Tue, Nov 3, 2009 : 12:25 p.m.
The real crisis in post secondary education is not the lack of financial assistance but rather the cost of education at publicly funded Universities has simple spiralled out of control. There should be no reason that a good student that works during the summers and part time during the school year should come out of a 4 year program with debt. The problem is that our Public Universities have become behemoth enterprises with bloated Administrations, large numbers of highly paid academics that do research but don't teach and out of touch athletic departments. The cost to run this mega enterprise is unfairly borne by taxpayers and the tuition paying students.. So I propose the following. Break up public Universities into 3 functions. 1) Teaching, 2) Research, 3) Community Service. Students seeking a degree pay tuition according to the cost to pay lecturers and maintain laboratories. No fancy new buildings are needed here and all books should be provided electronically so further reduce cost (sorry Professors - that means lower revenues for you). Also, let's cut out all of those student fees that are mandatory and add up. If you want to join a club, pay a membership fee. I estimate tuition would be about 1/4 - 1/3 of the cost today. Professors that want to do research can do so as well, except it won't be funded by student tuition. They will need to bring in their own funds by grands, industrial cooperation or shared royalties. If they can't do, maybe their program is not worth supporting and they should move on. Maybe that new luxurious research building may not be so important to build after all. Athletic departments belong in the community service group. The entire department should be self funding through ticket and apparel sales and send a steady stream of cash to the rest of the University to reduce tuition and support research programs for the right to use the University name and trademarks. All scholarships paid to athletes should be paid out of the Department budget. They can even pay the football coach as much as they want as long as they can also pay for new stadiums and infrastructure.. The point is that students seeking a degree should not be supporting the rest of the self serving bloated University. Time to trim things up and give Michigan families a break.
Tom McLinden
Mon, Nov 2, 2009 : 11:32 p.m.
In reply to 81wolverine, I would be delighted to match your $100.00. Furthermore I would highly recommend that the students of our schools get active about this and stage an effective protest of this direct attack on their hard work and dedication. A well organized district wide sit down strike would do more to educate the Ann Arbor student body than a decade of government classes. Perhaps they will learn what taxation without representation really means. As far as solving the budget crisis it is time to take aim at the pensions of state workers where we spend immense sums without any current period benefit. Any retiree with income in excess of $100,000 should forgo receipt of their pension benefit as well as any retiree that no longer resides in the State of Michigan. Drastic yes, a promise broken, yes. But the impact on our economy would be minimal. And we will be putting the money to work in our Michigan Colleges.
a2grateful
Mon, Nov 2, 2009 : 7:39 p.m.
WSJ Headline today: "Manufacturing Activity Expands: The U.S. factory sector posted its third consecutive month of growth in October, as the ISM manufacturing index rose to 55.7 from 52.6 in September.". Manufacturing is increasing... just not in MI... why is that?
belboz
Mon, Nov 2, 2009 : 6:36 p.m.
81wolvrerine - "...manufacturing jobs lost in the state are never coming back" if the government does not put up trade bariers. This information society you talk about and service based economy does not add value to an economy. Check out the US Statistical Abstract. Manufacturing is the ONLY industry that our government classifies as ADDING VALUE to our economy. If we want to grow our economic base - as China has done - and once again provide the jobs and social benefits of a strong economy, Manufacturing is the only industry we should be focussing on. Everything else - Education, Health, Information, etc... only grows when our economy is "adding value." Your plan is a 10 year plan. We have an economy and industry that is in Michigan right now. You can't be serious in your thinking that if EVERYONE in America only bought GM, Ford, and Chrysler, that Michigan wouldn't feel a tremendous economic boom? So, why shouldn't people in Michigan lead by example. Otherwise, if I were in some other State, and I saw all of foreign cars driving around Michigan - why should I care if the people in the State don't care? Poor reasons to be driving around in some vehicle made overseas.
dotdash
Mon, Nov 2, 2009 : 6:30 p.m.
I've got $100 for a smart Michigan kid to go to college with -- any other 39 people want to join me and replace a promise scholarship?
81wolverine
Mon, Nov 2, 2009 : 3:14 p.m.
bellboz: Wake up my friend. Simply buying American-made cars is NOT going to save or resurrect Michigan's economy. It's a fact that many of the manufacturing jobs lost in the state are never coming back. But, the only hope long term for the state is to develop a diverse economy based on both manufacturing AND information-based products and services. Maybe then, we'll have enough money in the state budget to make decisions on programs that aren't based on a desperate need to cut expenses to keep the government solvent.
Macabre Sunset
Mon, Nov 2, 2009 : 2:54 p.m.
Well, wallet meet crowbar, parents. Maybe if you didn't feel it necessary to have two SUVs and a 60-inch plasma television, you'd be able to cough up the money for junior's education. Keep in mind the colleges are already subsidized by the taxpayers (in-state tuition is a fraction of out-state tuition). We're already doing more than our part for your children. You have to do the rest of the heavy lifting yourselves.
a2grateful
Mon, Nov 2, 2009 : 2:50 p.m.
Old-school thinking holds us back. Foreign cars do not attack.. Unionized prices in the market suffer. Costs of corruption won't help us recover.. An honest day's work for an honest day's pay. Been a long time since we've seen that day.
belboz
Mon, Nov 2, 2009 : 1:56 p.m.
What do people expect, driving kids to school in their Toyota's and Subaru's? If you can't realize that you are part of a larger economy - that in Michigan, of all states, we need to be supporting the big 3 because our State Economy depends on it, - then perhaps you should be the one going back to college, taking a couple economics courses. I'm sick of hearing Teachers and Parents complain about the budget cuts and firings, when they are completely unconcerned about the larger economy. If you throw up the Gas Milage or Quality, which are poor arguments to begin with, then you put those priorities in front of supporting the Michigan economy. And the result is, now, the Michigan Economy cannot support you. The circle of the economy starts with Manufacturing, and when that fails, everything else will eventually fall apart as well. Spend the next year buying cars made in Michigan, and then maybe next year, Michigan can once again support you.
a2grateful
Mon, Nov 2, 2009 : 12:57 p.m.
Politicians slinging blame disgrace each other without shame.. Kids in college try to make ends meet with broken promises at their feet.. Government's impotent sagas of woe. Where will all of our children go?