It provides Detroit high school graduates a tuition-free path to an associate’s degree.

The Detroit News reports.

Detroit launches free college degree program

Detroit — Permanent funding is on the way for a program that is providing Detroit high school graduates a tuition-free path to an associate’s degree, along with a pilot program to give Detroit students the opportunity to earn four-year degrees.

The dedicated revenue source to fund two-year college scholarships for city students is made possible through the Detroit Promise Zone, a designation created by law during the administration of former Gov. Jennifer Granholm that allows Detroit to capture a portion of state education taxes generated in the city to offer scholarships.

It will build on the Detroit Scholarship Fund, funded by the Michigan Education Excellence Foundation, which already has paved the way for 1,500 students to study for their associate’s degrees. Students eligible to apply must have attended either a public, charter, private, parochial or Education Achievement Authority schools in Detroit for four years.