The Detroit Promise Works To Boost College Enrollment Among Detroit Residents
March 26, 2021CBS Detroit
The Detroit Promise is a last-dollar scholarship that provides eligible Detroit students the ability to earn an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or technical certificate, tuition-free, at participating academic institutions.
They have been working hard to make sure high school seniors are set up for success with scholarships, coaches and eligibility requirements.
In addition to current high school seniors, they encourage students from the class of 2020, who may have been deferred, dropped out, or didn’t start school, to apply for the Detroit Promise Scholarship, as they are still eligible to receive it.
The recent State of Education report by the Detroit Regional Chamber found that there was a 21.7 percent decline in college enrollment among last year’s high school graduates in Southeast Michigan.
Due to this drop in enrollment, and the circumstances due to the pandemic, The Detroit Promise is working with colleges and universities in Michigan to modify the eligibility requirements for admission.
Many of the four-year colleges partnered with Detroit Promise have made changes to their ACT/SAT requirements for the Class of 2021. These modified requirements include:
- School allowing: “Test optional”– students can apply without a test score, but the institution might expect a higher GPA, an additional essay, an interview, etc.
- School allowing: “If Admitted”– whether students apply with a test score is up to them. If admitted and meet the other requirements, you will be eligible for Detroit Promise funding.
- School allowing: “Test Blind”– test blind meaning they are not weighing the exam in neither admissions nor Detroit Promise awarding decisions.
For a full list of the participating schools and their modified eligibility requirements visit: https://detroitpromise.com/do-i-qualify/
The Detroit Promise continues to make efforts to increase enrollment while focusing on the educational needs of the students, as the announcement of modified eligibility requirements is the first step in improving the decline in enrollment.