Announced on Nov. 10, The Kalamazoo Promise _ which already is being referred to by locals as simply “the promise” _ is altering a lot of students’ college plans. It could also have a seismic effect on the community’s economy.

The promise is expected to attract more businesses, jobs and homebuyers to the area and raise property values in and around this largely middle-class city of 77,000 about 130 miles west of Detroit. Officials expect more students and, with that, a need for more schools and teachers.

The scholarships _ funded by anonymous donors _ will be good toward tuition at any of Michigan’s public universities or colleges, and will be available to anyone who has been in the Kalamazoo schools for at least four years at the time of graduation. The amounts will be dispensed on a sliding scale, with those who have been enrolled since kindergarten getting 100 percent of their tuition covered.

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