Стипендия «Обещание зоны» в Хейзел Парк расширена: теперь она покрывает четыре года обучения и до 20 000 долларов

HAZEL PARK — Since 2012, the Hazel Park Promise Zone has given students who live in the Hazel Park Public Schools district and graduate there a golden opportunity: a tuition-free path to an associate degree at Oakland Community College, or the opportunity to put that money toward any other college or trade school in Michigan. Now, the value is even greater. What was once a two-year scholarship covering up to $14,000 has increased to a four-year scholarship covering up to $20,000. In addition, there is a new scholarship available for those who wouldn’t normally qualify. For the main scholarship, any current student who lives in the Hazel Park Public Schools district or who graduated within the past six years can apply by registering online at hazelparkpromise.org. This includes graduates of Hazel Park High School, Advantage Alternative High School and INVEST-Roosevelt High School. Additional requirements include yearly completion of FAFSA — the free application for federal student aid — and attending a Michigan postsecondary institution that accepts federal financial aid, enrolling in at least six credits there per semester, and maintaining a 2.0 cumulative GPA and satisfactory academic progress once enrolled.  The Promise Zone, established in select cities by the state in 2009 and activated in 2012, achieves its funding through a mix of recaptured state taxes and private donations. Its contributions are used as last-dollar funding, meaning its money is applied after other grants and scholarships. The funding breakdown is up to $4,000 per semester for college freshmen and sophomores and up to $1,000 per semester for college juniors and seniors, totaling $20,000 across four years. It’s not limited to college, either. It can be also used for trade schools and apprenticeships. “Our goal is to increase the funding even more, like in the next two or three years,” said Fernando Monge, executive director of the Promise Zone. “We’re fortunate that the tax recapture value goes up every year.” Katrina “Kitty” Groeller is the manager of college success programs for the Hazel Park Promise Zone. She said that Monge championed the expanded scholarship, while Monica Rattee, a member of the Hazel Park Public Schools Board of Education who also serves as the financial and operations manager for the Promise Zone, helped determine the increase was feasible. Thanks to additional funding from the Jamie and Denise Jacob Family Foundation, there is also a new scholarship available for those who don’t qualify for the main scholarship. Called the Viking Scholarship, it covers two years and up to $500 per semester that can be used for any college years for graduates who live outside the school district. Otherwise, the eligibility requirements are the same as the main scholarship. Monge said that while the state tax recapture covers the main scholarship, donations from the Jamie and Denise Jacob Family Foundation, as well as the Ballmer Group and the Sutar-Sutaruk-Meyer Foundation, help cover other needs. “All three (foundations) help us cover things like funding for student emergencies, textbooks and school supplies, SAT prep — even staffing salaries,” Monge said. “It’s thanks to them that we can offer all these additional services.” The Promise Zone also provides other forms of support, available to all students and alumni regardless of whether they live in the school district. For example, if a student’s GPA falls below 2.0 during their first semester at college, Groeller receives an alert and reaches out to assess their needs. Maybe a student is feeling overwhelmed by their class load, struggling to take effective notes or prepare for exams, or maybe they’re simply homesick or not getting enough sleep. Whatever the reason, the Promise Zone provides guidance about how to navigate the situation. Meanwhile, at each of the high schools, there are college advisors from the Promise Zone who help students with career exploration, college and program applications, apprenticeship and trade school opportunities, FAFSA completion and scholarship searches. For those who already graduated from the district, there is also year-round postsecondary success coaching with personalized academic and financial support. The caseworkers also make themselves available via email or scheduled meetings. “If you just give a student money, you’re doing them a disservice since they won’t have the tools needed to navigate things like orientation, signing up for classes and other things they may not know,” Monge said. Small donations also help keep the Promise Zone rolling along. Those interested in giving back can donate to the Promise Zone with checks made out to “Hazel Park Promise Zone” and mailed to Hazel Park Promise Zone, P.O. Box 514, Hazel Park, Michigan, 48030. Cash donations can also be mailed to the same address. In addition, debit or credit card donations can be made via the website, hazelparkpromise.org, or via PayPal. All donations are tax deductible. Beverly Hinton, president of the Hazel Park Public Schools Board of Education, said she is pleased to see the Promise Zone changing lives. “It’s been very beneficial to the district,” Hinton said. “Everyone was so excited when the Promise Zone started, and it’s just continued to grow and evolve into something so much more.”