GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A scholarship program for students who graduate from Newaygo County high schools is growing.

The Newaygo County Area Promise Zone is a place-based program, offering scholarships to students who live within the service area and graduate from Newaygo County high schools or homeschool programs.

When the Promise Zone began in 2016, it offered scholarships to Muskegon Community College. Now, it’s expanding to support students who want to attend Ferris State University.

On Friday, Chairperson Blake Prewitt signed an agreement with Ferris State President Bill Pink, marking the Promise Zone’s first agreement with a four-year college. Under the agreement, eligible students will receive a maximum of $5,000 a year for up to four years to attend Ferris State full time.

“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Ferris State University as an eligible college for the Promise Zone Scholarship,” said Prewitt in a statement. “Ferris State has been a valued partner to Newaygo County school districts, and we look forward to the incredible opportunities this will create for our students to succeed and thrive.”

There are several eligibility requirements. For a student who has attended Newaygo County high school or homeschool program from grades seven through 12 and has successfully graduated, and who lives in the service area of the Newaygo County Regional Education Service Agency, the scholarship is completely funded. If a student has graduated from a Newaygo County high school but has not attended since the seventh grade, they will get a partial scholarship. Students must also graduate high school with a GPA of at least 2.50, qualify for federal financial aid and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid each year. Once at Ferris State, they will need to maintain a 2.0 GPA.

“I am so thrilled to form this partnership with the Newaygo Promise Zone Authority, as it will provide students with even more opportunities and improve access to our transformational programs at Ferris State,” Pink stated.

The Promise Zone is a public-private partnership. According to Ferris State University, the programs begin by using private donations to fund scholarships, but after two years, they become eligible to use locally-generated tax dollars.