Keep
the PROMISE
by Governor Bob
Wise
One of the key
stumbling blocks to achieving economic success in West Virginia - both
for individuals and for communities - is the low rate of college
attendance among our high school graduates. We have a very low
proportion of college-educated persons among our adult population. That
must change.
Several other
states have found that the quickest and most effective way to motivate
students to study harder and do better in school is to offer a simple
and concrete reward - the opportunity to attend college. The PROMISE
Scholarship is based on the student's achievements - not on his or her
parents, not on the college's resources, not on other factors. We are
tying this opportunity, this investment, directly to achievement on the
part of the individual.
By putting forth a
reward for achievement, we're saying to students that working hard,
playing by the rules and meeting tough expectations will earn them the
opportunity to attend college. That's a lesson that should ring
throughout our educational system.
This is a key part
of my turnaround plan for state government. We will reward success.
Education -- along with economic development and E-government - will be
the hallmarks of my administration.
I firmly believe
getting more students to attend college will turn around the economies
of our communities, attract energetic people to the state and keep our
best students home in West Virginia.
Middle-income
students who do not qualify for needs-based aid often delay school, work
too many hours borrow heavily to attend college. The average loan burden
carried by our college graduates in West Virginia has increased by more
than 50 percent since 1994. These students, if they earn PROMISE
Scholarship, can get some badly needed help.
We're not abandoning our commitment to needs-based scholarships. The PROMISE Scholarship offers additional aid to students who qualify for a West Virginia Higher Education Grant, a needs-based scholarship. This year, we were able to offer these students only 70 percent of the tuition costs. For any student who qualifies for PROMISE, the new grant will make up the difference between that sum and the tuition.
Some of the states
that have introduced PROMISE-type scholarship programs have been
surprised by the size of the investment required. We will gradually
phase-in the PROMISE Scholarship to reduce the impact on the state's
budget. The first year, the 2002-2003 academic year, only the freshman
class will be eligible. The predicted investment that year will be about
$9 million, and we expect to serve more than 4,000 students. The annual
investment will reach about $25 million per year by the fourth year.
This is a large investment. But it is an investment we cannot avoid, and should not. If we truly believe that our children are our future, we must put their interests first -- and keep the promise.
Contact Information
Lisa DeFrank-Cole, Ed.D. ● Executive Director
PROMISE Scholarship Program, Suite 700 ● 1018 Kanawha Boulevard, E. ●
Charleston, West Virginia 25301
Telephone: 304.558.4417 ● Toll Free: 1.877.WVPROMISE ● Fax: 304.558.3264 ●
E-mail: promise@hepc.wvnet.edu
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