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Michigan House OKs adding 5 more 'promise' scholarship zones

Posted at 3:34 PM, Oct 17, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-17 15:35:39-04

Flint and four other Michigan cities could become eligible to participate in a college scholarship program under a bill that has taken a key step forward in the Legislature.

The House approved the legislation 89-18 Tuesday. It goes back to the Senate, which already has passed an earlier version.

The "Promise Zone" program allows communities that secure enough private funding to also use state tax revenue to pay students' college tuition. It is limited to 10 high-poverty areas currently.

The bill, which is designed in part to aid Flint after its water crisis, would authorize 15 zones.

The promise programs vary but at a minimum must cover tuition and fees to obtain at least an associate's degree from a community college. Some also cover the cost of a bachelor's degree.