LANSING – Special lotteries, an income tax check-off, corporate and foundation donations and 1 percent of every casino’s gross receipts would be used to pay for the college tuition of any Michigan high school graduate with a grade point average of at least 2.5 under a plan unveiled Monday by Rep. Fred Durhal Jr. (D-Detroit).
Durhal recently introduced HJR BB , which would create the college tuition program should voters in the November 2010 election support such a move.
In exchange for the free tuition, which would not include room and board fees, students would either have to mentor a senior student at their old high school or donate their time to other students or the community the year after they graduate.
“Here in Michigan, there is a serious need for a college education to be more accessible to all residents,” Durhal said at a press conference in Lansing, which was billed as a bipartisan announcement.
However, no Republicans attended.
Given that the proposal requires voluntary compliance from the Indian tribal casinos and businesses, Durhal said he plans to convene a workgroup to hammer out details of the plan he estimate will cost $1.7 billion over four years.
He said that assumes one-third of the 190,000 students in Michigan attend college during that time.
Durhal emphasized his plan does not rely on tax increases, unlike a similar proposal hailed by Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith (D-Salem Twp.), but that was not enough to persuade Republicans into supporting the measure.
“Let’s entice people to gamble and use the proceeds to pay for education because that’s worked so well,” said a sarcastic House Republican Spokesperson Bill Nowling.
In a statement, Rep. Paul Scott (R-Grand Blanc), who was billed as one of the Republicans to be in attendance at the press conference, said he did not agree to support the package, particularly if it relies on tax increases.
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