LANSING – State Representative John Espinoza (D-Croswell) today applauded the passage of the new Michigan Merit Scholarship. The award grants Michigan students $4,000, up from the current $2,500, after completing two years of community college, university or vocational training. Students would be required to maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.5 to receive the award.
"The new Merit Scholarship will throw open the doors to higher education for every student who wants to go on to earn an advanced degree," said Espinoza, a former educator in the Carsonville-Port Sanilac School District. "It's essential to make higher education available to all students if we want to prepare our children for the jobs of the future. By giving more students the opportunity to earn a degree from a college or trade school, we are building a stronger workforce for Michigan."
Lawmakers fought hard for years to pass a strengthened merit scholarship. In an April 2004 report, The Brookings Institution warned that America will not be able to hold on to the highest-paying jobs in the world if the number of college graduates with degrees in physical sciences, math and engineering continues on a downward trend.
The graduating class of 2007 will be the first group eligible for the new Merit Scholarship. The new Merit Scholarship would not prevent students from receiving other federal or state awards.
"No student who wants to go to college or trade school should be denied that opportunity because they can't afford it," Espinoza said. "Putting more money in our students' pockets will help more of our children go on to achieve greater things. By creating more opportunities for our students, Michigan can have the best-educated workforce in the world, which will make Michigan a powerhouse in the 21st century economy."