For low-income students in six Michigan Counties, the Grand State Valley Pledge could be the answer they've been looking for. | stock photo
For low-income students in six Michigan Counties, the Grand State Valley Pledge could be the answer they've been looking for. | stock photo
Future college students who come from low-income families and live in counties where Grand Valley State University has a presence could have the cost of their tuition covered for all four years.
This is all because of the Grand Valley Pledge, a program with a mission to help students, who otherwise may not be able to afford college, invest in their futures.
"GVSU educates learners to shape their lives, and the Grand Valley Pledge ensures that many of these learners will not be left out," said B. Donta Truss, vice president for enrollment, development and educational outreach, according to Grand Valley State University's website. "This is a great start to eliminating equity gaps at GVSU."
There are some requirements in order for students to qualify for the financial assistance through the pledge, reported Bridge Michigan. Students must be accepted to GVSU, which is located in Allendale Charter Township, as a freshman and be enrolled full-time for the fall 2021 semester. They have to live in either Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, Grand Traverse, Calhoun or Wayne Counties and have a family income of less than $50,000 per year.
"It's another way of assuring that we create opportunity and advance equity in the communities in which we live and teach, as well as inspire a broader movement, making higher education accessible to all," said Philomena Mantella, president of GVSU, according to the school's website.
Rather than filling out multiple financial aid forms to find a way to help pay for the cost of tuition, applying for funds through the Grand Valley Pledge is simple. Potential students can fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which determines their eligibility.
Students can have the cost of tuition covered for the remaining three years of the undergraduate degree by continuing to meet the guidelines, filing a FAFSA each year and maintaining "satisfactory academic progress." What counts as Satisfactory Academic Progress varies among undergraduate students, graduate students and doctoral students, and also depends on how many credits a student has completed.
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