BUCHANAN — Brooke Wesner is one of the fortunate ones.

The Buchanan High School senior is part of the first class eligible to receive the benefits of a new post-secondary education scholarship program called the Buchanan Promise.

Through the Buchanan Promise, graduating seniors who reside in the Buchanan Community Schools district will receive up to $2,500 a year for four years to assist with tuition, fees or other costs associated with college. School of choice enrollees are not eligible.

Wesner, who plans to study sports marketing and management after graduating high school next spring, said she feels fortunate to have received such a gift, and does not intend on wasting it.

“I feel very lucky and all of us should feel lucky that it is available for us this year. Paying for college is one of the things I worry about because it is a lot of money,” she said. “Knowing someone has left that much money to our school for scholarships — it makes you feel more responsible for everything.”

On Wednesday, the details of the Buchanan Promise were officially revealed during a ceremony attended by more than 100 people at Buchanan Middle School. Although many of those in attendance were directly involved in the program, there were several parents and students interested in learning more.

Becky Kaltenbach has three children in Buchanan Community Schools, including a freshman and junior in high school. She said the Promise could alleviate a significant financial burden for her children.

“This will make college more realistically affordable for them,” she said. “Hopefully they will have to take out less loans in order to get their degree, if that is what they choose to do, and I think they will.”

The Buchanan Promise is made possible through a permanently endowed gift to the Michigan Gateway Community Foundation from the estate of the late Walter Schirmer, Jr., who is the son the late Walter E. Schirmer, Sr., the former president of Buchanan-based Clark Equipment Company.

In October of 2015, Walt, Jr., discussed his estate plan with the MGCF and the concept for the Buchanan Promise emerged over the last few months of his life.

Lloyd Miller, a trustee on the Buchanan school board, said the legacy of the Schirmers would last forever with the Buchanan Promise. He also praised the many people and organizations who helped make it a reality.

“I think we’ve done a lot for the students of Buchanan Community Schools,” he said.

Buchanan Supt. Andrea van der Laan said she thinks the Promise could result in increased enrollment in the district, in addition to affecting other positive changes.

“I think this is one more thing the city is doing to support our students and to continue the pride in Buchanan,” she said. “I see that as helping us move forward with the initiatives we’ve already started.

“I don’t see people moving in right away to Buchanan but could that be a long term effect? Maybe. We will have to wait and see.

“I think they (the students) are going to be very excited. It is a matter of getting them to understand what they need to do to get there and to continue pushing that message from kindergarten through 12.”

City officials are also hopeful that the Promise will have a positive effect on the city, including an increase in population and businesses opportunities.

“It is going to be another true benefit for people to live in and around the City of Buchanan,” said City Manager Bill Marx. “Once families realize that their child could gain $10,000 in educational funding just by living here — I think that will be very beneficial and very attractive.

“I think employers can use this information to help attract employees… It might make recruitment for jobs easier and better.”

So how will it work?

The Promise applies to Buchanan High School graduates in the spring of 2017 and after who live in the district, complete the FAFSA and are admitted to a qualified post-secondary program.

To be eligible for the maximum amount ($10,000), a graduate needs to have been enrolled in and lived in the district since kindergarten or first grade. Graduates who have attended school and lived in the district for a minimum of four years receive a scholarship equal to 70 percent of the grant, with a sliding scale for those in between.

The Promise is a first dollar scholarship, meaning that the scholarship amount is granted before a student’s other grant aid.

Recipients will have six years after high school graduation in which to use their funding and must meet certain requirements to continue receiving the scholarship. It will apply to all accredited two- or four-year degree programs as well as all certification or degree programs in the trades.

It is being managed by the MGCF, a nonprofit foundation located in Buchanan.

For more information on the Buchanan Promise, visit BuchananPromise.com or call Robert Habicht at info@buchananpromise.com.