by Sonya Hollins, publisher
editor@comvoicesonline.com
KALAMAZOO (MICH.)-Janice Brown had been a witness to the incredible. As executive director of the Kalamazoo Promise, she was privileged to make the announcement that Kalamazoo Public School graduates of the Class of 2006, would be the first to receive The Kalamazoo Promise. This Promise would allow students to attend any Michigan public university or college tuition free. The news not only shocked the students and parents, but was one that got the country’s attention. The cost of college was no longer a barrier.
Those who had never heard of Kalamazoo were now wondering, what this little town snuggled between Detroit and Chicago was about? The New York Times featured the news along with CNN, The Today Show and others. School districts across the country sought consultation from Brown and Bob Jorth, to learn how they too could offer this gift of a college education to their students. This was a gift that couldn’t be topped. Or could it?
On June 10, the announcement was made that the already amazing scholarship program would offer even more. In Kalamazoo College’s Hornet’s Nest, Brown (now executive director emeritus) Jorth, executive director, and Von Washington Jr. (the new executive director of Community Relations) were brimming with excitement in anticipation of the announcement. Dr. Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran, president of Kalamazoo College, and a member of the Michigan Colleges Alliance (MCA) also beamed with pride as she welcomed those to an historic moment. The 15 private colleges who are a part of the MCA would now join in to allow Promise Scholars an opportunity to attend their colleges; giving students the options of public and private college possibilities.
Brown admits that when she was approached by Bob Bartlett, CEO of the Michigan College Alliances, to expand the KPS students’ options to include their schools, she was a bit skeptical. After all, private institution fees were considerably more than those of the public universities’. However, the MCA institutions agreed to pay the difference in tuition (based on the cost of the University of Michigan’s College of Arts and Sciences). In addition, all fees associated with attending their schools, also would be waived to the students.
“I was blown away,” Brown said at their offer to make it a win-win for students and the colleges. “Even someone like me can’t say no to that!”
Beginning in Fall of 2015, the 10th anniversary of The Kalamazoo Promise, KPS graduates of 2014-15, will have even more options for their education. The educators, public officials and parents who were invited to attend the announcement, stood in standing ovation at the incredible addition to an already life-changing gift of education.
Some of the presidents of the newly-included schools were also in attendance. When questioned by the cost of The Promise in comparison to their tuition rates, some representatives did admit that the funds provided to them by The Promise would be less than their even lowest discount rate. One president said his school would do more fundraising efforts within their own donor base to help provide funds needed to make up the difference. All said they would not raise tuition for non-Promise students to close the financial gap. For Dr. Wilson-Oyelaran, she said the financial commitment is something Kalamazoo College owes to the community, which Kalamazoo College has been a part of for more than 181 years.
Brown used a line from KPS Superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice that, “With this gift comes great responsibility.” She said The Promise Scholarship program has had great success with the nearly 3,000 students who have already taken part. However, there are some concerns.
“I worry that with such wonderful colleges and universities joining us, that we will lack appreciation for the incredible work our public universities and colleges have done for our KPS Promise students over the past nine years,” Brown said.
She gave accolades to attending school representatives from Western Michigan University (Dr. Martha Warfield) and Kalamazoo Valley Community College (Linda Depta) whose schools have gone above and beyond to provide the needed services for students.
Bob Bartlett, CEO of MCA, confirmed their commitment to provide the students with what they need to succeed on their smaller, more residential and more academically-challenging curriculum also would be taken into consideration.
One parent in the audience praised the Kalamazoo Promise for what it already had done in the life of his son. Jeff Willson, a graduate of Hillsdale College, boasted on how his son not only graduated from the University of Michigan with help from The Promise, but also completed his master’s degree from the University of Utah.
“The Promise is now allowing him to make choices more openly about what he wants to do without debt around his neck,” Willson said. “As a parent, this is an amazing day.”
In addition to Kalamazoo College, the MCA schools to be included in The Promise in 2015 include:
Adrian College, Albion College, Alma College, Andrews University, Aquinas College, Calvin College, Hillsdale College, Hope College, Madonna University, Marygrove College, Olivet College, Sienna Heights University, Spring Arbor Unversity, University of Detroit Mercy.
The original Promise qualifying state colleges and universities include: https://www.kalamazoopromise.com/ParticipatingCollegesUniversities/CollegesUniversities
