In 1999 the Michigan legislature established the Michigan Merit Award as a scholarship program for deserving high school graduates who performed exceptionally well on MEAP tests. The Michigan Merit Award granted up to $3,000 in financial aid to students in graduating classes 2000 to 2006. The last of the scholarship payments for the Michigan Merit Award ended with the 2009-2010 academic year.
Following the discontinuation of the Michigan Merit Award, the Michigan Promise Scholarship was established beginning with the class of 2007. The Michigan Promise Scholarship was also created to provide financial aid for college education. Unfortunately, Michigan's state budget no longer has funds allocated for scholarship payments and the state has suspended payments for all past and present winners of the Michigan Promise Scholarship program.
The State of Michigan hopes to restore college scholarship funding and has established a "paying for college" website to keep students informed on any changes to the Michigan Promise Scholarship program.