By Associated Press
DETROIT — Detroit will start using state education tax dollars to fund a program that will pay for two years of community college for the city’s high school graduates.
Detroit Promise scholarships will be available to students starting in 2018. The program follows promise zone legislation passed years ago by state lawmakers and signed in 2009 by then-Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
Promise zones can use state education tax dollars collected through property taxes to support local fundraising efforts. State law requires a private organization to fund two years of scholarships before any taxes can be captured.
The Detroit Regional Chamber and Michigan Education Excellence Foundation will fund the program for the next two years.
“Affordability will no longer be a reason for any student in Detroit not going to college,” Detroit Regional Chamber President and Chief Executive Sandy Baruah said.
The scholarships will cover tuition and other costs not covered by state and federal grants. They are open to students in public, charter or private schools. Students must live in Detroit and spend their final two years at high schools in the city.
