Many college students in West Virginia share a common tie: they are receiving a West Virginia PROMISE Scholarship. The PROMISE, or “Providing Real Opportunities for Maximizing In-State Student Excellence” scholarship program provides assistance to many West Virginia students who choose to remain in the state to get a college education. The award is merit based, so anyone meeting the criteria may receive it, despite income level.
The scholarship is given to students attending two or four year institutions within the state. Students must apply for the program, which is usually done under the guidance of high school officials. They must also meet certain criteria upon application and maintain the high standards of the program, which includes minimum standardized test scores, grade point averages, class requirements, and more.
The issue with PROMISE is that more students are receiving it and no more money is coming in to fund it. PROMISE receives its primary funding from state video lottery machines and general appropriations. Some past solutions to fix gaps in funding were raising standards and capping payouts, meaning that the scholarship would not necessarily cover the full cost of tuition. Neither helped to solve the problem. With the continuity of the program called into question, committees have been considering new options to solve the problem.
WV Governor Joe Manchin mentioned making PROMISE a forgivable loan program rather than a scholarship program. Students could work in the state for a number of years and the loan would be forgiven. Students who choose to leave the state, according to the proposal, would agree to repay the award. The proposal is known currently as House Bill 2599.
Manchin is well known for his somewhat infamous attempts to make the state more commercialized. Along with trying to provide the PROMISE as a scholarship to those staying to work in WV, he also created an uproar among residents by changing state signs over entering roadways from the state’s signature, “Wild and Wonderful,” to, “Open for Business.” This angered many residents, and so has the suggested change in the much needed PROMISE.
Many residents are upset about this. There are reasons students leave the state. Many lawmakers probably believe that graduates leave the state to make more money. Sometimes this is true, but the main reason grads seem to leave is not the lack of money, but the lack of jobs. West Virginia lacks either the specific jobs or just the number of available positions to fit the needs of graduates, so they often seek employment in neighboring states. The theory that students only leave for higher pay only goes so far, because even though other states offer better pay, they also offer a higher cost of living.
So where does that leave the students? Many rely on the aid that is provided through these scholarships. If the program is “revamped,” many deserving students will lose out on the financial aid they have earned simply because they choose to leave the state. So are we really providing opportunities for everyone, or just the few who are lucky enough to find jobs in the state? Is our political circle so enamored with the idea of keeping future workers in the state that it would punish them for leaving? Only time will tell.
