BY Dan Treadaway
When the new Georgia Tech Promise scholarship program was announced a few months back, Tech administrators felt the new initiative for Georgia students with financial need would be well received by donors — once they had time to learn about and fully appreciate the significance of the program.
That learning curve is proving to be not very steep at all. Alumnus Michael G. Messner, CE 76, and his wife, Jenny, have taken the lead in supporting the Georgia Tech Promise by making the program's first $1 million commitment.
"Both my wife, Jenny, and I came from families where money was tight but education was highly valued," said Messner, who has two brothers-in-law with Tech degrees and whose nephew has completed his freshman year at Tech. "When I graduated from Tech, tuition was less than $500 a year. My family and I were able to afford the college costs without going into extra debt. I don't believe that is the case today for many students."
Nationally, two-thirds of all public university graduates are forced to borrow money to fund their education, with an average of nearly $20,000 in accumulated debt at graduation.
"As good a value as a Tech education continues to be, the Institute's ability to meet the financial needs of its lowest income students and families has eroded," said President Wayne Clough. "The Tech Promise initiative is designed to fill this gap by offering a debt-free education to Georgia undergraduate students with annual family income of $30,000 or less. This will help us ensure that no qualified Georgia student will be forced to decline an offer of admission to Tech because of finances."
Students who receive Georgia Tech Promise scholarships will be required to maintain a grade point average of at least 2.0 and earn at least $1,250 per semester through work-study or other work arrangements to offset educational expenses.
"Through the Georgia Tech Promise, Jenny and I can help some students afford the much higher cost of Tech tuition today without the burden of debt hanging over them," said Messner. "I have made very good stock investments over the years, but for return on investment, the Georgia Tech degree is by far my best investment. Even though my degree was in civil engineering, I was able to transfer the analytical skills I acquired at Tech to the financial field. And my Georgia Tech degree is very highly regarded by everyone I meet."
Aside from supporting the Georgia Tech Promise, the Messners' commitment will support other need-based scholarships for both in-state and out-of-state students. The Messners previously supported the construction of the new College of Management building at Technology Square.
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