If your high school senior says they can't afford college-- that excuse might no longer work.

"We want all Pontiac's kids, Detroit's kids, Michigan's kids to go to college, we don't want cost to be the barrier," says Governor Jennifer Granholm.

And barrier it won't be, if you live in one of the new 10 "Michigan Promise Zones."

Modeled after the Kalamazoo Promise, a successful program in Kalamazoo that guarantees all college-eligible Kalamazoo students free college tuition, the legislation says 10 cities with high poverty levels can now raise private funds to send kids to college. If they raise enough money for two full years of tuition for all seniors, they can start using some state property tax dollars too.

"This is a very creative financing mechanism that allows for a community that designates itself as a Promise Zone to capture half the growth of their School Aid Fund property tax revenue, Granholm says.

To be chosen as a Promise Zone is on a first-come, first-serve basis-- and Lansing wants in.

"We're interested and hopeful we'll be named one of the 10 zones," says Dr. T.C. Wallace, Lansing schools superintendent.

Wallace says the legislation would complement their existing HOPE scholarship program.

"I think we're ready and will be at the head of the line," Wallace says.

"Lansing could certainly apply, they would qualify for it," Granholm says.

The idea also is that private donors will see the economic benefit as well; more people and businesses are apt to move to a city if they know their children are guaranteed a free ride to college. If more people move to an economically-challenged city, the city will begin to turn around. It's a double incentive.

Rep. Tim Melton, (D) Auburn Hills, says in the first 10 months that Kalamazoo had the Kalamazoo promise, people moved to the historically downtrodden city from 33 states and 9 foreign countries to take advantage of the free tuition.

"This is an economic strategy in addition to an educational strategy," our governor says.

Both of which should pay off.