Muskegon Area Promise

Who is Eligible for The PROMISE?

Tuition free PROMISE scholarships are available to students attending the following 16 high schools:

Calvary Christian
Fruitport
Holton
Mona Shores
Montague Area
Muskegon Catholic Central
Muskegon Covenant Academy
Muskegon
Muskegon Heights Public School Academy
North Muskegon
Oakridge
Orchard View
Ravenna  
Reeths-Puffer
Western Michigan Christian
Whitehall

The Muskegon Area Intermediate School District (MAISD) is committed to serving all students who reside within the MAISD service area. We welcome homeschool student participation in countywide programs and services like the Muskegon Area Career Tech Center and the Muskegon Area Promise.

To register your student, or for additional information regarding Promise eligibility requirements for homeschool graduates, please link to our form below.

HOMESCHOOL REGISTRATION FORM

What Do You Need To Do?

LIVE within the boundaries of the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District.
 

GRADUATE with a qualifying GPA from one of the 16 eligible high schools. Homeschool graduates may qualify by completing a MAISD Registration.
 

APPLY for student aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and complete the verification process as requested each year (www.fafsa.gov).
 

ENROLL at either Muskegon Community College or Baker College of Muskegon.
 

No scholarship application is needed for the Promise award. Graduates will be notified with a letter of eligibility.  

Each year, PROMISE scholars must accept the award by completing and returning the online form on or BEFORE July 1.

Students must successfully complete their coursework to maintain eligibility. Each college’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policies apply.

Why do YOU need to further YOUR education?

In the past, the West Michigan job market offered a good living without college or even a full high school education. Today we live in a globally-oriented, knowledge-driven world where the majority of job postings require a certificate, an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree.*

By 2025, this number is projected to rise to 64%.**

Of Muskegon’s current workforce, only 39% have these types of post high school degrees.***

This is where the Muskegon Area Promise comes in.

* W.E. Upjohn Institute 2014, **TalentFirst, ***Stronger Nation 2022

How Does The PROMISE Work?  

Scholarships will fund either a certificate program, a two-year associate degree or the first two years of a bachelor’s degree at Muskegon Community College or Baker College of Muskegon. The PROMISE provides the financial assistance necessary to obtain a two-year degree or its equivalent when used in conjunction with federal, state and institutional grants.

Students are encouraged to apply for all scholarship opportunities available to them. Other scholarships and grants will be awarded first before the PROMISE Scholarship is awarded. Some restrictions may apply.

The PROMISE covers tuition (valued at the current Muskegon Community College rate) and mandatory fees.

Students will have a maximum of four years from high school graduation to use their PROMISE Scholarship award. Based on any revised financial aid information, the amount of the PROMISE Scholarship may be adjusted each year.

See Scholarship Terms at a Glance

Welcoming a New Investment

For more than 10 years, Michigan Promise Zones have been leaders in providing scholarship opportunities to address some of the most critical problems we face in our communities: helping disadvantaged students close the achievement gap, assisting cities in retaining and attracting middle-class families, and drawing knowledge-based businesses to distressed communities. We welcome the new investment from the State of Michigan to grow this work and ensure every student gets the support needed to go to college and earn a degree or certificate!  

To learn more visit miachievement.org or preview the Michigan Achievement Scholarship Updates to see the changes to the State of Michigan's flagship financial aid program at a glance.