Unfortunately, an important promise to Michigan's college students has been broken, but we hope only temporarily.

The Michigan Promise Scholarship, which provides up to $4,000 for eligible students at the state's public universities, was eliminated under the budget recently signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. This broken promise affects some 96,000 undergraduates and their families.

The governor has stressed the importance of the Michigan Promise Scholarship and has committed to restoring it through targeted enhancement of revenues. We applaud her efforts and those of members of the Legislature who support its restoration.

Michigan's government has long acknowledged the need for more skilled college graduates to stimulate the state's economy. The "promise" in the Michigan Promise Scholarship implied two things: that the state made a commitment to its young citizens and that the promise of a better future for Michigan absolutely depends on an increasingly well prepared work force.