College tuition program boosts enrollment in Kalamazoo

The Kalamazoo Promise is a program that last year began providing up to four years of free college tuition to graduates of the school district in Michigan. In 2006, 332 students used the scholarship money to attend 14 colleges and universities, costing the Kalamazoo Promise $1.5 million. As this school year draws to a close, 458 students have been accepted to receive the scholarship. Officials estimate that 400 families have moved into the district since the Promise was announced, coming from 88 communities in Michigan and 32 other states. Enrollment grew by nearly 1,000 students at the start of the school year, requiring the district to hire more than 40 teachers.

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