Detroit Offers Promise Scholarships

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) Making college plans? The Detroit College Promise program is currently accepting scholarship applications from Detroit Public Schools students in kindergarten through ninth grade.

The deadline for students to register is December 1 of their 9th grade year -- which means a few days left for anxious parents.  Last year, over 80 percent of eligible ninth grade students in Detroit registered.

To date, more than 25,000 DPS students have registered for the program.

"The requirements for the scholarship are simple:  One, you must live in Detroit; Two, you must have attended a Detroit Public School in grades 9 through 12, and three, and most important, you must have registered by December 1 of grade 9," said Dr. Nat Pernick, founder and executive director. "That's it!"

DCP expects to award 300 universal scholarships during the 2013-14 college year.  Last year's award ranged from $110 to $550 per student, and this year, DCP hopes to increase the maximum award to $1,000 per student.  The actual award amount will be announced in July 2013, and may be used for tuition or other school-related expenses.

"The scholarship is good at any Michigan public college or university," Pernick said. "In the past four years, DCP has awarded over $110,000 in scholarships to over 350 students, and has helped students get $3.4 million in other scholarships and grants.  In 2013, we will continue our effort with a goal of increasing our scholarship awards to motivate students and their families to make education a priority."

The mission of The Detroit College Promise is to motivate Detroit students to make education a priority. Our grassroots nonprofit offers a universal scholarship to Detroit Public School students to any Michigan public college or university, simply for living in Detroit, attending a DPS school, and registering in grades K-9.   The Detroit College Promise is a tax-exempt non-profit funded entirely by private donations.

Click Here for details about this scholarship program, and the application process.