Gov. Rick Snyder signs legislation increasing opportunities for students to receive college scholarships

Statement

Five additional communities will have the opportunity to establish need-based scholarship programs for local students under legislation signed today by Gov. Rick Snyder. The bill increases the maximum number of Michigan Promise Zones from 10 to 15.

Gov. Snyder signed Senate Bill 98 today at Kettering University's FIRST Robotics Center, joined by bill sponsor state Sen. Jim Ananich, Rep. Phil Phelps, Kettering University President Robert McMahon, and representatives of several organizations that have been already raising funding for the city in anticipation of its upcoming designated Promise Zone status.

"Ensuring all Michigan students have access to a college education is essential in order to strengthen our state's talent pipeline and prepare our young people for the 21st century workforce," Snyder said. "Creating additional Promise Zones helps even more students have the chance for a better and brighter future, and hopefully they'll choose to live, work and raise a family right here in Michigan."

SB 98 amends the Michigan Promise Zone Authority Act allowing the Michigan Department of Treasury to certify up to 15 Promise Zones. Once approved by the Department, the requesting entity must complete a Promise Zone development plan that includes:

A complete description of the proposed promise of financial assistance;
A complete description of any limitation on the promise of financial assistance;
Whether graduates of a public or non-public high school would be required to exhaust all other available publicly funded scholarship before receiving financial assistance;
How funds necessary to accomplish the promise of financial assistance would be raised and how much the proposed plan is estimated to cost.
The measure is now Public Act 150 of 2017.

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