North Kent News

Grand Valley State University is offering free tuition for low-income students in Kent, Ottawa, Calhoun, Muskegon, Grand Traverse and Wayne counties, the university announced recently, according to Bridge Michigan.

Students from families who earn less than $50,000 annually and reside in one of the included counties can take advantage of free tuition for four years at GVSU, thanks to the new Grand Valley Pledge program.

The main campus is in Allendale Charter Township, which is in Ottawa County. The college has a presence in the other five counties as well. GVSU says 23,000 students attend the main campus in west Michigan.  Forty-seven percent of homes in those six counties have household incomes under the tuition threshold, and the six counties account for 40% of GVSU’s student body.

In the first week of February, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a free community college program for Michiganders over the age of 25. Other educational institutions, including the University of Michigan and Wayne State University, have offered free tuition for some students.

Low-income students qualify for federal Pell Grants, which cover $6,195 per year in college costs for students whose families make $26,000 or less; those whose families earn up to $60,000 qualify for smaller Pell grants. The Grand Valley Pledge guarantees that the school’s in-state tuition, roughly $13,500, will be completely covered for low-income students.

The program will start in fall 2021, and about 300 potential students who have applied for admission in the fall would qualify for the program.

"This is a great start to eliminating equity gaps (in enrollment) at GVSU,” B. Donta Truss, vice president for enrollment, development and educational outreach at Grand Valley, told Bridge Michigan. “By removing financial barriers to college, deserving students can enroll and be ready to start their path to a degree.”

Tuition and class fees are the only costs covered by the Pledge. For example, Grand Valley’s website estimates that total annual costs for in-state students living on campus would be more than $26,000, with tuition and fees accounting for about half of that. The Grand Valley Pledge won’t eliminate all the costs associated with attending college, but it could shave a few thousand dollars off the price tag.

“Our students from low-income families still have (financial) gaps,” Truss said, according to Bridge Michigan. “This will help cover those gaps.”