Where Would You Move for Free Tuition?

By Olivia Leigh on Dec 21, 2006 6:11PM

When we were kids, we used to think Kalamazoo would be an awesome place to live, largely thanks to Dr. Seuss. But now that we are “grown-ups,” living and working in one of the finest cities in the country, such aspirations have waned.

But what about you? Any desire to move to Kalamazoo, Mich.? No? No hands going up? What if we told you your kids could go to any of the 44 public universities in Michigan for free if they graduated from the Kalamazoo school system?

Smack dab in a region suffering from economic troubles and population loss, a group of donors decided to create the “Kalamazoo Promise” program last year, providing high-school graduates with a scholarship to the school of their choosing.

For people like Heather Martell, a former resident of Schaumburg; Julie Hovey, of North Aurora; and Alicia Mathews, of Englewood; the town with the funny name became so attractive as a result of the Promise that they packed up their families and moved there.

Of course, some fine print exists for those who want to take advantage of the offer. Kids who begin in the Kalamazzo Public School system as kindergartners will receive 100 percent of their tuition paid for; following that, the amount covered is prorated, and a student must enroll, at the latest, as a freshman in high school to receive any scholarship funds.

Perhaps after seeing the 1,000 student increase in enrollment in Kalamazoo, universities in Wisconsin are also considering jumping on the free tuition bandwagon, albeit with a twist.

In the state's “Big Bang” plan, students would receive reduced or free college tuition if they agree to stay in Wisconsin for ten years after college graduation.

Other states throughout the Great Plains, suffering from a brain drain — losing educated, talented workers to economic cities such as Chicago — have tried providing other incentives such as free land, tax breaks and debt forgiveness, although few have worked.

We are fans of these programs, despite the debatable efficacy of them across the board. While keeping the economic vitality of a region sustained is incredibly important, we can’t help but think that providing students with ways to earn college degrees can’t possibly be bad, regardless of where they end up post-graduation.

Image via Graduation-cards.net.