The Muskegon Area Promise aims to make educational achievement more attainable for local students.
"It makes me feel good that knowing that they really care about us and they want to see us succeed."
Antonio Thomas is a student at Muskegon Heights Academy, and a possible recipient of the Muskegon Area Promise come graduation.
School and community officials celebrated a funding milestone this past week, announcing more than a million dollars in donations for the budding two-year scholarship program.
For Muskegon Community College freshman Audrie Daniels, it means more financial confidence in furthering her education.
"[I'm] very excited and thankful that they want to reach out and give us a scholarship to be able to continue on," she says.
Daniels is one of fourteen students who received scholarships in the program’s first year.
"We’re probably going to have way more people going to school, and probably giving back to the community," she says. "And it’s going to be great."
Daniels says she plans on getting a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She wants to come back and work at Holton schools.
The scholarship is currently offered for three county school districts.
Eligible students with at least a 3.5 GPA receive two years of tuition at either MCC or Baker College of Muskegon.
Officials say they plan to expand the Promise to all public, private and charter schools in the Muskegon area in the 2017 school year.
WGVU News Intern Nicole Buchmann contributed to this report.
