NEWS
Student leaders from across the state gathered Tuesday at MSU to form a grassroots coalition to fight a ballot initiative that threatens funding for the Michigan Merit Scholarship program.
The students, representing five public college student governments in the Association of Michigan Universities, hope to join with private schools, community colleges and other groups to take aim at the Healthy Michigan Amendment, which would direct 90 percent of the states $8.5 billion tobacco settlement only toward health care programs.
Tobacco settlement money now is used to pay for the scholarship program, which provides $2,500 to college-bound students who meet Michigan Educational Assessment Program test standards, some elderly health care programs, the Life Sciences Corridor, and to make up for budget shortfalls in other areas.
Some opponents of the ballot initiative believe its passage would mean the end of the scholarship program.
This is something that affects all students, said Matt Clayson, ASMSU Academic Assembly chairperson.