| The popular PROMISE Scholarship program could be changed in one of four ways in the near future, impacting thousands of high school students and their families.
It is being called a belt tightening measure.
Money crunch talk comes days after a glowing report about the success of PROMISE.
Governor Joe Manchin and legislative leaders have told PROMISE officials to get a handle on the risings costs of the program.
The scholarship board began discussing possibilities at its meeting Thursday afternoon.
PROMISE awards scholarships to West Virginia high school graduates who have obtained a 3.0 GPA and scored 21 on their ACT. They also must obtain a 20 ACT in reading, math, science and English.
The program will cost the state $39 million this year with about 9,000 students participating.
PROMISE Executive Director Lisa DeFrank-Cole says the board could choose one of several options for the future including; capping the annual award at $3,000 per student, giving a student a partial award based on family income, setting income caps or increasing the academic standards.
PROMISE Board member West Virginia Wesleyan President William Haden says the board should raise the academic standards because PROMISE is a merit-based program that recognizes achievement and sustained performance.
It is not a program based on need.
State Higher Education Chancellor J. Michael Mullen agrees, "If we are forced to wean the program it ought to be on the basis of increasing academic rigor because the product this state needs is graduates."
Chancellor Mullen says the best thing for PROMISE would be to leave it alone. "This is a highly successful program and we ought to figure out how to fund it."
Delegate Harold Michaels (Democrat-Hardy Co.), chairman of the House Finance Committee, wants to reign in the costs.
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