Gov. Jennifer Granholm will speak from 9:15 to 10 a.m. Thursday in the Charles V. Park Library Auditorium regarding the status of the Michigan Promise.

According to a forwarded e-mail by Mike Zeig, a former Student Government Association President and appointments specialist for the governor, sent over the Leadership Institute listserv by Coordinator of Leadership Development Dan Gaken, Granholm will speak on campus to students regarding the Michigan Promise, which was eliminated from the state budget in October.

The scholarship, which provided $4.2 million to 4,200 students attending Central Michigan University, began in 2007 after the state legislature voted to change the state-sponsored award from $2,500 to $4,000.

During a conference call Thursday with college reporters, Granholm said she wants to reallocate some funds from the Earned Income Tax Credit to help fund the Michigan Promise. The EITC has been 10 percent of the federal amount since 2008, but will have an additional 10 percent after 2009. She said she wants to delay the phasing-in of the 10 percent increase to fund the scholarship.

Granholm also will speak at Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, Western Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, Saginaw Valley State University and Oakland Community College.

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