Behind the Headlines

By Charles Slat
I dropped by an Michigan Merit Exam/ACT test preparatory workshop Saturday and realized that a lot of people still might not have gotten the message that the state makes available a $4,000 scholarship to students who do halfway decent on the Michigan Merit Exam.
Some parents, particularly in these tough economic times, are tempted to say there’s no way my kid will be able to go to college. He can’t afford it and neither can we.
Obviously, $4,000 won’t pay for a degree from a four-year university. But it will cover the tuition for two years at a lot of community colleges, including Monroe County Community College. And a lot of MCCC degrees can lead to a career that pays a lot better than ones that require just a high school degree.
And if a student goes to MCCC for two years, then transfers to a four-year school, he or she will essentially get a four-year degree at about half price.
The Michigan Merit Scholarship: It’s a no-brainer.