Report finds Doyle’s Wisconsin Covenant may be un-kept promise

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The Wisconsin Covenant might not be able to keep its promise to the poorest youngsters who expect to attend college.

That’s according to a new study by a University of Wisconsin-Madison think tank.

About 35,000 eighth-graders have signed the covenant which promises Wisconsin college admission for getting good grades and staying out of trouble.

The question is whether there’s enough money to pay for everyone’s who eligible.

Those who can’t pay on their own can try to get the standard financial aid, and there’s about $215 million available from two private foundations.

But researcher Beth Stransky says it might not be enough in the long run, and the public has no control over the private money.

She says state funds should be allocated. But she admits it won’t be easy, considering the huge deficit in the next state budget.

Even so, Stransky and the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Post-Secondary Education say the state should consider a program similar to Indiana’s.

There, deserving students get four-year scholarships if they come from families of four making less than $38,000 a year.

The governor’s office says it’s reviewing the UW report.

Tags: wisconsin news, wisconsin, covenant, promise