Letter To The Editor: Progress On The Promise

Letter To The Editor: Progress On The Promise

September 9, 2016

Dear Editor,

It’s been an exciting spring and summer of planning since the announcement of Newaygo County’s Promise Zone. The Newaygo County Area Promise Zone Authority Board has been created and have been working hard to determine the eligibility criteria and guidelines for the Promise.

We are thrilled to expand post-secondary opportunities for our Newaygo County students and are sure this program will help transform our communities in the process.

Our initial “promise” to our high school graduates to qualify for the tuition-free path to an Associate’s degree from Muskegon Community College or Baker College, will require that...

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...students graduate from a Newaygo County high school or from a Newaygo County home school that registers with NC RESA and meets the same Michigan merit requirements and administers the same standardized test(s), such as the SAT.  

Students eligible for the Promise will need a 2.5 grade point average and will be allowed three years to complete their Associate’s degree.  Promise scholarships will cover tuition and fees. Books will be the responsibility of the student.  

To receive the Promise scholarship, students must be residents of the NC RESA service area and scholarships will be prorated for students who have not attended Newaygo County schools for at least grades 7-12.

We are confident that this initial plan provides our local students with the gift of a post-secondary educational opportunity. Depending on fundraising efforts and levels of tax capture, our desire is to expand these criteria to include other post-secondary institutions, a lower GPA and books in the future.  

The best paying jobs of this century will require a high level of education and training. The Promise Zone opportunity will allow our students to compete for those jobs, and supply our local workforce with the talent they need.

We will keep the community up-to-date on new developments and final criteria as they are developed.  Thank you for your engagement in the process thus far!

Sincerely,

The Newaygo County Area Promise Zone Authority Board

Dr. Lori Tubbergen Clark, Chairperson
Dawn Anderson
Tom Boerger
Woody Bowman
Mark Guzniczak
Jack Hendon
Deanna Joppich
Holly Moon
Nate Sparks
Rebecca Tuuk
Dr. Steve Witter
Cathy Obits (ex-officio)
Carla Roberts (ex-officio)

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