MADISON Wis.
Wisconsin is rolling out the nation’s most expansive guarantee of higher education to students in hopes of raising college aspirations and improving preparedness.
The state’s 75,000 eighth-graders can sign the Wisconsin Covenant agreement starting May 10, promising to earn a B average, take courses to prepare for college and be good citizens.
In exchange, the state will guarantee a spot in one of its universities or technical colleges and a combination of work study, loans and scholarships to help low-income students pay their way.
The program is similar to those in Indiana, Oklahoma and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that educators say have been successful in keeping college affordable. All three target low-income students.
Wisconsin’s program is unique because all students can sign up and will be urged at a key age to start preparing themselves for higher education.
“It’s especially noteworthy that the focus is on eighth-graders,” said Dan Hurley of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. “That is a remarkably critical year in terms of planting a seed and letting every young adult in Wisconsin recognize they can attend college.”
