Kalamazoo Promise - Wow!!

(NEWS 3) – The revolutionary Kalamazoo Promise scholarship program was the talk of West Michigan today. The generous promise of a college education for graduates of the city’s public school system even made national news. School administrators say Kalamazoo will be the only school district in the nation that will pay for all of its graduates to go to college. Superintendent Janice Brown announced the Kalamazoo Promise program Thursday night. An anonymous group of donors will pay tuition and fees for any Michigan institution of higher learning. The program has no set end date and will be in place for at least the next 13 graduating classes. The program begins in 2006. "There is no catch,” said Brown. “The catch is: go to Kalamazoo public schools, graduate and get a scholarship. It's as simple as that." Students who begin attending Kalamazoo public schools prior to ninth grade are eligible for the scholarship. The amount depends on how long the student has been enrolled. If the student has attended to Kalamazoo Public Schools from kindergarten through 12th grade, they will receive enough money to cover 100% of their college tuition. To remain eligible once in college, students must maintain at least a 2.0 Grade Point Average; must be in good standing; and must successfully complete 12 credit hours each semester. The scholarship lasts four years from the high school graduating date unless it's interrupted by military service. The Kalamazoo district has about 11,000 students in all grades.