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GRBJ: GRPS students could receive free college

Students in Grand Rapids Public Schools could soon be eligible for more college scholarships.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- High school graduates in Grand Rapids might receive free college education.

The Grand Rapids Public Schools District was designated as one of 15 Michigan Promise Zones, meaning the state could begin awarding in-state college and trade school scholarships to graduates of all public, private and charter school graduates within the district.

The Grand Rapids Public Schools Board of Education will vote to accept the offer at its Sept. 17 meeting, said GRPS Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal, who pursued the designation after Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder announced the addition of five new zones last year.

All graduates within the city would be promised free tuition for at least two-year degrees, funded first by Pell grants and other needs-based grants, with outstanding tuition paid by the Promise Zone scholarships. Individual zones can decide to extend funding to cover up to four-year degrees.

“This is an economic development strategy,” Weatherall Neal said. “This will be a game-changer for this community, and it’s our hope that young people want to stay in our community.”

To read the entire story you can pick up a copy of the Grand Rapids Business Journal or visit their website.

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