Michigan students must volunteer to win Merit Awards

August 18, 2004, 1:42 PM

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Forty hours of volunteer work will be required to win the state's Merit Award scholarship starting with the class of 2006.

The mandate was adopted this week by the Michigan Merit Award Board. Gov. Jennifer Granholm called for the requirement during her State of the State address in January.

Many school districts already have community service programs for their students. The rest will be asked to create guidelines on what constitutes service and how to track whether a student has met the requirements.

Among the beneficiaries will be nonprofit organizations, churches and neighbors, according to the resolution unanimously adopted by the board.

"If a student is volunteering to help the widow lady down the street, we want to encourage that," board member Harold Voorhees told Booth News Service. "This doesn't have to be part of a (service) organization."

Service is defined as "an act of assistance or benefit to another or others." Athletic training, band practice or other curricular or extra-curricular activities will not count toward the required 40 hours.

The hours must be completed by public, charter, private and home-schooled students between their freshman year and June 30 of their graduating year. Both the student and the school must certify the volunteer time was completed.

If the school can't or won't certify, the program will count verification from the organization or unrelated individual overseeing the volunteer work. Past service in high school can count.

Since the Merit Award program's inception for those who graduated in 2000, the only main requirement has been high scores on the Michigan Educational Assessment Program or other qualifying test. In return, students receive $2,500 over the course of two academic years.

Anne Wohlfert, director of the Office of the Michigan Merit Award, said there has not been much feedback on the proposal. But some parents had concerns that their kids already were busy enough with sports and other school-related activities.

Board chairman and state Treasurer Jay Rising said the Legislature clearly gives the board leeway to set additional requirements.

"What should a student do to deserve a state scholarship?" Rising asked. "I think it goes beyond getting good grades. This recognizes, just as colleges do, that academics alone won't get you in."

Voorhees succeeded in getting faith-based organizations added to the resolution's list of suggested agencies. Other suggestions include Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels and Americorps.