Kalamazoo Students get free college

[Stocktrading101]

Alright, this had made national news and I am proud to say I live in Kalamazoo, MI where it happened. A group of anonymous investors pooled together a crap load of money, and created a system that will literally pay for your college education if you go to kalamazoo schools.

If you start in kindergarden in the K'zoo school system and go all the way and eventually graduate from high school this group will pay 100% of your tuition to any public college. If you started in 1st grade or 2nd grade I think you get 95%, 3rd and 4th get 85%, etc. If you started in high school I think they pay 65% of your tuition (exact percentages may be off).

Now, going beyond the craziness of just giving all these middle income families a way to get their kids to college, it is also huge for kalamazoo as a whole. Already people are starting to move over to get into the school systems to get their kids college money, it is insane! Long term I cannot even come to grasp with the positive effects it will have.

[psykiv]

That is awesome!

Friend of mine lives in MI, but he didn't go to Kalamazoo school .

Here's an article I just found in relation to that.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...511170480/1068

I got free school, but because I earned it, not because I lived in a certain city

edit: The article says "That's based in part on data showing a $26,000-a-year income gap between college grads and people with only high school diplomas."

My friend has a college diploma and makes $26,000 a year.

Does that mean that high school graduates get paid $0.00 a year?

[Stocktrading101]

lol, that is a good question man. When it boils down to it the common theme people promote is, "If you don't go to college, you're destined for failure of some sort." Personally I think it is a bunch of hogwash, but that is just me. I agree with the fact people without a college degree will make less, but we can't forget about outliers (*cough* bill gates, michael dell *cough*). If you want anything bad enough in life you will succeed regardless of the path ahead of you. Some people want greatness, some people want to work at McDonalds, but who are we to judge?

[spncr2]

That's crazy awesome! Free schooling. I can't imagine the enjoyment on families faces in the near future when they hear about this and realize this great opportunity.

All the best,

[Kristy411]

Hey, wow that's some story!! Talk about home prices skyrocketing in Kalamazoo. That town has a lot of publicity over here in NY, since our Yankee, Derek Jeter grew up there. This town will see an incredible increase in the number of people wanting to move into Kalamazoo with young families. Do you know how long that offer will last?

The whole "Study hard, get good grades, go to college, and get a safe and secure job" is just so old! Education is wonderful, but the type of education is even more important. Getting that safe secure job is the old way of thinking, and it may work for some, that's fine. Some people like you said Blain, are happy just working for someone else, and others would rather create their own businesses. Look at Bill Rancic. Most people would think he has this incredible opportunity, working for Donald Trump (after winning on "The Apprentice" for those of you who don't follow the show). Before he was on the show his business claim to fame was the fact that he started many online cigar businesses and was doing very well with it. Recently, it was announced that Bill left his position at the Trump Company, because he wants to go back to running his own businesses. It just goes to show how some people have more motivation and more of a desire to do their own thing, and others would rather not have that much control.
What do you all think?

[Matt Moss]

Then again, Blain, Gates and Dell both started their companies in college, and only dropped out after they started taking off. So perhaps college creates an ideal atmosphere for coming up with new ideas (hell, you got your patent idea in college ).

Just a thought!

Regardless, this was obviously a trust of local businesses trying to boost Real Estate values and to get more workers and businesses in the area. Something like this could really cause Kalamazoo to grow, and its actually kind of exciting!

[Stocktrading101]

Do you know how long that offer will last?

Moss can help me out here but I think it was something like 30 years but I am not positive!

It just goes to show how some people have more motivation and more of a desire to do their own thing, and others would rather not have that much control.

I agree totally, and that goes back to my comment about who are we to judge? I did not know the guy who won with Trump left, that is pretty cool.

Then again, Blain, Gates and Dell both started their companies in college, and only dropped out after they started taking off. So perhaps college creates an ideal atmosphere for coming up with new ideas (hell, you got your patent idea in college ).

Ya, and thanks for that Moss! I have started the race, but still have to get to the finish line. I love the saying that, "The race does not go to the strong or to the swift, but only to the one that endures till the end."

BuMp to all of this. Great stuff

[WallStGolfer31]

I already get free college, but that's becasue my parents pay for it

I'll be getting free grad school as well.