• Learn all about the Michigan 2020 Plan at www.michigan2020.com

UPDATE: LANSING - To alleviate the rising costs of higher education, State Senator Gretchen Whitmer has proposed that Michigan High School graduates have their tuition paid by the state government.

The plan says the maximum amount of the grant would be equal to the current median tuition level, nearly $10,000, of all of Michigan's public universities.

It might account for many of the upcoming graduates at Okemos High School, but certainly not for all of them. Whitmer says part of this plan is to be eligible for a percentage of that full amount. While this sounds appealing right away, the question remains: 'what does this mean for taxpayers?'


“What we are encouraging people to always look at, though, is the expense side of the equation. How is the money that taxpayers are using to invest, in universities for example, being used," questioned Ari Adler, a Republican Press Secretary.

“One of the things that you look at when you're dealing with government spending is a lot of times people will say, 'well costs have gone up and so we need to increase the amount of money the government is putting towards a program.' As we understand it, one of the things the senate democrats have proposed is tapping into tax credits and ending tax credits of businesses, but when you look at what they are talking about, many of those tax credits are already being phased out," he said.

Senator Whitmer assures us that the Michigan 2020 Plan will not result in a tax increase for Michigan residents, and full details on the plan can be found at michigan2020.com

Any questions or comments regarding Senator Whitmer's proposal can be submitted at whitmer.senatedems.com.

ORIGINAL STORY: LANSING - Should students receive paid tuition just for attending Michigan K-12 schools? Learn more and decide by watching Meridian Magazine