<p>So I received some scholarships from the State of Michigan (a one-time $1300 and also $1000/year) but when I decided to go to Brown, I found out none of the scholarships are allowed to be used for students going out of state. I hate Michigan, that money would be really nice in reducing the Stafford and Perkins. </p>
<p>Anyone else have a similar story where your state scholarships were useless when you went OOS?</p>
<p>Umm...the whole point of those scholarships are to keep you in-state.</p>
<p>^ agreed. I wish I could've taken some scholarship from other schools with me to the school i go now, but that ain't happening. because the point of it was to keep me in their school...</p>
<p>Js, I understand your frustration. The MI Promise Scholarship is advertised as a way to help MI kids go to college. No mention is ever made of it being a tool to keep kids in-state for college. In fact, until this past year, $1000 of the $2500 (or $1000 of the $3000 if you received the MEAP middle school money, as well) was allowed to be used at an OOS school. All of a sudden ... and there was nothing in the paper about it! ... none of the money could be taken OOS (and this change occurred the year before the name & terms of the scholarship were altered). I have yet to see any studies that show that kids who go to OOS schools are more likely to settle OOS after college than those who go to school in-state, but I guess that is the idea behind keeping the money in-state only. I suppose they also want to keep the funds in-state, too ... but the scholarships are funded by tobacco settlement money, not taxes, so it's not like it is truly "taking from the state" for MI students to use the money OOS.</p>
<p>It is upsetting because the fact that the money is for in-state use only is never included in anything published by the state about this scholarship. Other similar scholarship programs run by the state have always included that fact in all publications. The fact that money could be initially taken out of state for MEAP scholarship, then suddenly & mysteriously it could not be, is what is frustrating.</p>
<p>I don't know about michigan but I think that is fairly common for State grants and scholarships. I know in Oklahoma both the need grants and some State merit money can only be used in state.</p>
<p>But in Michigan, the state has sort of held kids hostage to taking its previously voluntary state assessment test by holding the money over their heads ... if they take the tests & do well, they'll get the money. In order to get students in more affluent communities to bother taking the tests ---they balked at it ... the test was terrible, and they risked a bad score for no reason, since it was not required --- they allowed a portion of the money to be taken OOS. Now the test has changed, and it's pretty much mandatory ... I suspect that is why the money is no longer allowed to be taken OOS.</p>
<p>I had heard about the change of keeping the Michigan Promise Scholarship in state. I heard it on the TV when Gov. Granholm change it. What I didn't hear about was the fact that kids didn't have to do the 40 hours volunteer time until my son tried to turn it into his school last year. Oh well, it did him good to volunteer:)</p>
<p>As far as I know, all states that offer scholarships provide those scholarships only to students who choose to go to college in their home states. I'm amazed that Mich. ever allowed the $ to be used OOS.</p>
<p>metoo nsm
My daughter would have received not only merit aid from the state school had she stayed instate, but almost $3,000 in a promise scholarship
However, even that attraction wasn't enough to keep her instate and she earned her degree in the next state over.
I expect that it is also not enough to keep js416 instate- and consequently not enough to expect the taxpayers to pay for his education miles away- when many kids never move back after they attend college !</p>
<p>Actually, with the rate at which MI college tuition is rising (it's unbelievable) and MI's history of reneging on scholarship money partway through, the $4000 ($1000/1000/2000 over 3 years) scholarship isn't much of a draw to keep kids instate for school. My D is paying less at an OOS private even without the Promise money than she would pay instate with it. Now, GA's Hope Scholarship ... THAT is one that keeps 'em instate!</p>
<p>
[quote]
MI's history of reneging on scholarship money partway through
[/quote]
Really? My '06 S fell under the old plan of $1500/1500 over 2 years. The first installment was promptly paid to the college and applied to the 1st quarter tuition bill...zero hassle. Now, I do know of plenty of kids/families who forgot to inform the state of where the $$ should be sent. Most people, including us, never looked at that small scholarship as an incentive to stay in-state. It hardly scratches the surface of S's private school tuition, but it's nice the kid received <em>war pay</em> for having to sit through those hideous MEAP's, lol.</p>
<p>No, I didn't mean that MI reneges on individual scholarships. They have actually withdrawn ALL promised scholarships partway through the year in the past! I will say that the state has been very good lately about not doing this (although it has been discussed). However, if you follow public school funding, you know that the state HAS done this with the public school funding in recent years. I do worry that they could do it with scholarships again, too.</p>
<p>That said, OF COURSE I would happily accept the $4000 if my kid decided to go to school instate!</p>
<p>In Florida, we have "Bright Futures" scholarships (funded by the lottery) that will pay either 100% or 75% tuition (depending on qualifications), and some money for books I believe, to an in-state public school. Though I understand the purpose, it's really annoying that the money is only good instate, as is the money from Florida Prepaid accounts.</p>
<p>We never had any problem with either the MEAP scholarship, or State Universities taking back scholarship money. Oldest didn't get MEAP because when he graduated high school in 1999, it wasn't offered. But the other two did with no problems at all. What one friend did when their child went to school out of state, was to use it for summer school classes their child took in state. </p>
<p>My second also received generous merit money at an instate university for all four years with no problem at all.</p>
<p>I'm another MI student going out of state. I'm mad as heck they're taking away the money I earned by sitting through that ridiculous MEAP test; had I known they would be screwing us over like this, I wouldn't've bothered.</p>
<p>The worst thing is that for years we were promised the money, and it wasn't until midway through senior year that they changed the terms on us.</p>
<p>I'm going to take a course or two at my local CC next summer and use the funds that way. Not fun, but necessary.</p>