About Michigan Promise Zones
The Michigan Promise Zone Association (MPZA) was formed in November of 2016 to represent and promote, as well as foster collaboration between and share resources among the Promise Zones. Promise Zones are designated through state law to make college scholarships available to all students within a designated locality. They were inspired by the success of the Kalamazoo Promise, the nation’s first universal scholarship program for an entire community.
After enacting Promise Zone legislation in 2009, Michigan became the first and only state in the nation to promote the creation of “place-based” scholarship initiatives to increase educational attainment and spur economic growth in a community. Michigan’s Promise Zone communities are working to deliver similar Promise scholarships through private donations, small and large, and by “capturing” growth in state property tax revenue.
History
In 2005, in a first of its kind scholarship program, Kalamazoo, Michigan announced anonymous donors would fund scholarships providing all graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools with full tuition scholarships to any state university or community college in Michigan. In 2007, less than a year after The Kalamazoo Promise awarded its first scholarships, Governor Jennifer Granholm called for the establishment of “Promise Zones” in Michigan’s economically distressed communities. In response, lawmakers of both parties collaborated to develop Promise Zone legislation, and in 2009 the Michigan Promise Zone Authority Act was signed into law, creating public-private partnerships, called Promise Zones, offering tuition-free college scholarships to local high school graduates.
The Act authorized the creation of ten Promise Zones. Baldwin Promise, Battle Creek Legacy Scholars, Detroit Promise, Hazel Park Promise Zone, Lansing Promise, and Saginaw Promise were established in 2009 as the first cohort of legislatively backed promise zones. The next cohort of zones included: Benton Harbor Promise (2011), Pontiac Promise Zone (2011), Muskegon Area Promise (2015), and Newaygo County Area Promise Zone (2016). In November 2017, Governor Rick Snyder signed a bill expanding the number of Promise Zones from 10 to 15. This allowed the establishment of Flint Promise (2018), Mason County Promise (2018), Grand Rapids Promise Zone (2020), and Eastern Upper Peninsula Promise Zone (2024).
How Promise Zones Work
Under the provisions of the Promise Zone Act, each zone is governed by an 11-member Promise Zone Authority consisting of local officials and business leaders. The Promise Zones use captured tax revenue and raise funds to provide scholarships that make college accessible to all qualifying students. The Authority may limit the use of each scholarship to one or more public or private higher education institutions in Michigan. All students who qualify for the scholarship must have a tuition-free path to, at minimum, an associate degree at one or more higher education institutions.
Promise Zone Authorities may also include non-degree programs and technical schools. Given the number and variety of institutions Promise Zone scholars are eligible to attend, 45 Michigan institutions were benefiting from having Promise Zone scholars enrolled.