The Saginaw Promise was established in 2009 for students who reside and attend schools in the Saginaw Promise Zone for at least three years. The award is pro-rated by years of attendance in the Saginaw Promise Zone and consists of tuition and fees on a last dollar basis to any in-state public or private college, university, or vocational program. The program is funded by individual donors through the Saginaw Community Foundation and through a state education tax.