SMC Announces New SMC Guarantee Scholarship Program

smcguarantee
smcguarantee

Southwestern Michigan College has announced the new SMC Guarantee, a scholarship program for new students. SMC President Joe Odenwald tells WSJM News the college is promising minimum support for recent high school graduates, adults returning to complete their degrees, transfers who have never attended SMC, and college first-timers of any age.

“It’s a minimum guarantee of $1,000 for the year, fall 2021 and spring 2022, for in-district students,” Odenwald said. “So that would be anywhere in Cass County as well as Keeler and Hamilton Townships in Van Buren.”

Out of district students will get a minimum of $600. Odenwald says SMC is implementing the program to help more residents earn degrees or certificates.

“It’s not merit-based. This is an effort to get our enrollment up. If a student gets a higher scholarship, those kinds of things, you have to take the higher [one]. You can’t stack it with academic scholarships and athletic scholarships, but it is a minimum guarantee.”

Coupled with other programs like the new Michigan Reconnect, additional scholarships, grants, and more, Odenwald says the SMC Guarantee is another way to bridge the gap when it comes to paying for community college. You can find out more right here.