Milwaukee Area Technical College president Vicki Martin announced today the MATC Promise, an initiative that will provide free tuition for eligible 2016 high school graduates.
Students must be on-time graduates from a high school in the MATC district and/or reside in the MATC district, have an Expected Family Contribution of $3,000 or lower, and meet additional requirements to be eligible for the MATC Promise.
MATC will pay students’ tuition and fees for four consecutive semesters after federal and state financial aid has been applied. Students must enroll at MATC for the fall 2016 semester, maintain full-time status, and participate in academic success and career planning workshops and service learning projects while at MATC.
“The MATC Promise will help make the dream of college a reality for eligible area high school seniors,” Martin said. “This program provides a solution for issues facing our youth and our community. At a time when young people and our community need us most, we have created a program that will develop a talent pipeline that benefits our residents and local business and industry.
“It is our hope that the MATC Promise will inspire qualified high school seniors to work hard and make a commitment to their success during this school year. If they make that commitment during their senior year, we will provide them with pathways to careers and transfer opportunities to four-year colleges and universities that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.”
The MATC Promise will be funded through the MATC Foundation.
The announcement of the MATC Promise comes during Workforce Development Month in Wisconsin, and at a time when associate degree and technical diploma graduates are in high demand. The National Skills Coalition projects that 51 percent of job openings in Wisconsin between 2010-2020 will be middle-skill jobs, which are those that require education beyond high school but not a four-year degree.
