GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WZZM) - Grand Valley State University students are hard at work, and they'll be working even harder to pay tuition this school year.
"I'm used to just getting basically screwed over by the state of Michigan. It's just the way it goes. I'm definitely going to have to look for jobs outside of the state, because the economy is so terrible," said student Wayne Hildebrand.
The terrible economy is why the Michigan legislature rescinded the Promise Scholarship, a competitive grant issued by the state for four thousand dollars towards four years of college.
"It's a terrible set of mixed signals that we're sending to students and that's very distressing," said GVSU Vice President Matt McLogan.
Wayne Hildebrand was one of 7 thousand students who received notification in July, a warning of sorts that the Promise Grant money may not come through from the state. Upper classmen may owe more than $500.00 since they are credited more money to total the remaining two thousand dollars promised.
"I'm working so hard during the summer and you count on a little bit of help from the state and to have that taken away it really hurts, but there's not much we can do about it is there?" said Hildebrand.
In an effort to ease the financial blow, GVSU circulated yet another letter, this time offering to help students.
"We'll work with them for the rest of this year to make sure that they have a way to get square with the bill and not have to worry about payment deadlines. If this is an individual hardship for any of our students we will work it out," said McLogan.
It's another promise, one GVSU offers, and one it says they will keep in order to help students with financial hardship.
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