LANSING – State Representatives Fred Durhal, Jr. (D-Detroit) and Coleman A. Young II (D-Detroit) today threw their support behind Michigan college students at a rally at the State Capitol to save the Michigan Promise Scholarship. The scholarship, which has made college affordable and accessible for nearly 100,000 Michigan families, is in danger of being eliminated due to budget cuts proposed by the Republican-controlled Senate.
"Higher education is often inaccessible to the average student and any effort to make it more affordable is worth working toward," Durhal said. "The Promise Scholarship helps thousands of Michigan students who have worked hard pay for college. If we want to move our state forward we need to make sure our students have access to a top-notch education, and that means we need to keep this important program intact."
The Michigan Promise Scholarship awards Michigan students with a total of $4,000 after they complete two years of community college, university or vocational training with a grade point average of 2.5 or higher. Nearly 100,000 students rely on the Promise Scholarship every year.
Today's rally included students from universities around the state, lawmakers and residents who understand how important education is to Michigan's future.
"In these tough times, we cannot pull the rug out from under Michigan's families who are relying on the Michigan Promise to give their kids a fair shot at a quality education," Young said. "Our kids are the workers of tomorrow, and this scholarship program is vital to making sure our state has the first-class workforce needed to attract the high-tech companies of the 21st century."