For four years, Governor Jim Doyle has been encouraging students to sign the Wisconsin Covenant. The agreement guarantees them entrance into almost any college or university in the state if they maintain a B average, stay out of trouble, and graduate high school. So far, nearly 50,000 eighth graders across the state have signed the agreement.
The most recent state budget allocated $25 million for each Covenant class to help fund financial aid. On Monday, Governor Doyle outlined the size of grants that each qualifying student will be eligible for.
The grants will be broken up into a two award system. For the first two years of college, students with the greatest financial need will be eligible for grants of up to $2,500 per year. Those from middle-income families can receive up to $1,500, while those who don’t qualify for financial aid can earn grants of $250 for living up to their end of the Covenant.
For the second four semesters, the amount of aid will vary. Governor Doyle says the size of awards will vary greatly, based on how much is left of the original allocation and how many Covenant scholars are still pursuing a degree or may have finished up in the technical college system.
The first class of students who signed the Wisconsin Covenant will begin applying for college next fall.
AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (1:20)