Our kids. Our community. Our promise.
OUR MISSION
At the Lansing Promise we believe in the inherent worth of every young person in this city—and we invest accordingly by providing post-secondary scholarship dollars and strategic supports to all eligible Lansing students, helping every child achieve their potential. In doing so, we are establishing an important socio-economic building block within Michigan’s capital region.
OUR IDENTITY
The Lansing Promise is a place-based scholarship program taking an active role in the success of our current and future scholars. We fulfill that role by raising and investing funds strategically, fostering the conditions for and the tools, resources and support necessary for success after high school and beyond on behalf of all of Lansing’s young people.
We set those conditions in concert with strategic partnerships across the city, working with families, educators, students and leaders in the nonprofit, business, elected and faith communities.
OUR SCHOLARSHIPS
From its inception, the Lansing Promise scholarship was designed to fundamentally change the way young people see their future—to open the door for all students to dream, to grow and to see themselves as successful beyond high school. Our growing portfolio of scholarships all share the same goal: to reduce financial barriers to post-secondary attainment.
The Lansing Promise Scholarship
As a Michigan Promise Zone community, we deliver traditional Promise scholarships by capturing growth in state property tax revenue as well as through private donations. Promise Zones are a unique approach to creating community-based universal scholarship programs that raise educational attainment levels and promote economic development. The zones are public-private partnerships led by Promise Zone Authorities composed of local public officials and private sector leaders.
In Lansing, when a student lives, attends and graduates within the Lansing School District boundaries, 9th through 12th grades from a public, private, home, charter, online or GED program, they are a potential Promise scholar. Upon acceptance, each scholar is eligible to receive gap-filling tuition assistance at Lansing Community College, which includes all tuition, course fees, and books necessary to complete an associates degree. Should a scholar wish to earn a bachelor’s degree, they may choose to receive an award of up to $10,000 toward their first two years at Michigan State University, The University of Olivet, Davenport University or Douglas J Aveda Institute. Finally, a scholar may also choose to use their scholarship support becoming certified in a skilled or professional trade through a local Promise-approved trades program.
OUR HISTORY
Two entities, one mission
The Lansing Promise is made up of two entities operating under a single mission and at a single board table. The Lansing Promise Foundation and the Lansing Promise Zone Authority work in partnership to help Lansing’s students achieve their full potential by reducing financial barriers to success after high school.
The Lansing Promise Foundation, established in 2012, is the 501c3 nonprofit organization responsible for the administration of Promise scholarships, the acceptance and handling of funds, and the day to day work of the organization.
The second entity, the Lansing Promise Zone Authority, was the predecessor to the Lansing Promise Foundation, established in 2009 and overseen by the Michigan Department of Treasury through innovative legislation, the Michigan Promise Zones Act. The Lansing Promise Zone Authority, one of only 10, now 15, Promise Zones identified and established in the State of Michigan, is designed to receive future tax capture funds for scholarship investment through a tax increment financing district. Each Promise Zone was selected based on above average poverty levels for children under 18 years of age and below average high school graduation rates. The primary goal of a Promise Zone is to transform communities through access to post-secondary education by removal or reduction of financial barriers.
Simply put, the Zone Authority maintains scholarship reporting to CEPI and Treasury, and ultimately will add a long term funding stream to the scholarship program’s portfolio.
The Lansing Promise Board Meetings are held jointly between the Lansing Promise Foundation and the Lansing Promise Zone Authority 6 times per year, with committee meetings on the off months.