OK, I give Baker College credit for this...

[meissen]

Just received this in an e-mail - note the part I've bolded and underlined.

Dear Baker College Undergraduate Students:

The budget adopted by the State of Michigan last October resulted in a severe reduction of the Michigan Tuition Grant (MTG) dollars previously available to Baker College students. Under normal circumstances, those Baker College students throughout the state who were eligible for the Michigan Tuition Grant would have received financial aid in excess of $20 million. That amount was reduced to $3 million this year.

Due to the late passage of the State budget and the economic challenges affecting many of our students, Baker College elected to underwrite the current year’s loss of MTG funding for its eligible undergraduate students. As a result, you experienced no disruption in your financial aid during this school year.

The State’s budget problems and the loss of MTG funds are expected to continue for the coming 2010-2011 academic year. Unfortunately, the College will not have the resources to totally underwrite this reduction of Michigan Tuition Grant funding for its students again next year.

A new scholarship, the Baker College Returning Student Merit Award (BCRS), has been established by the College to help offset some of the potential loss of the MTG funds. Full-time students who meet the criteria listed below may receive a BCRS Merit Award up to a maximum of $2100 ($700 per quarter). Award amounts will be prorated for half-time ($350 per quarter) and three-quarter time students ($525 per quarter). The criteria are as follows:

1. Be a resident of the State of Michigan.
2. File your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) prior to July 1, 2010.
3. Have an Estimated Family Contribution per your FAFSA of $10,000 or less – this figure is on the Student Aid Report that you get from the Department of Education.
4. Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater and completed 12 credit hours at the end of the current 2010 Winter Quarter (Students who have not completed 12 credit hours by the end of Winter Quarter will be reviewed after the Spring and Summer Quarters for eligibility).
5. The BCRS Merit Award is for undergraduate tuition only and cannot be combined with other tuition only awards to pay for other expenses or produce a cash refund.

Due to this new award, the Financial Aid Office will not begin awarding student aid until after the start of Spring Quarter 2010.

Please submit your 2010-2011 FAFSA promptly if you have not already done so. The FAFSA application can be found online at: http://www.fafsa.gov .The BCRS Merit Award will be awarded only if you meet all the above criteria and if the Michigan Tuition Grant funds are not available.

We know that completing your program at Baker College is critical to your future professional and economic success. We encourage you to review your education-funding plan now and to take those steps necessary to continue your college education at Baker College.


Sincerely,
F. James Cummins
System President

I give Baker College a lot of credit for that. If I'm reading this correctly, because our state government failed us, Baker actually covered the $17 million deficit for the 2010-2011 school year out of their own pockets so the students would be unaffected. How many colleges do that? Maybe they all do, maybe they all don't, but I give props to Baker for doing it.

And then furthermore, the fact that they're creating a scholarship/merit award to students to help offset the deficit for 2011-2012... that's awesome.

Way to step up Baker!











Now if only your financial aid department in Auburn Hills were competent.

[Darren]

Yep got that same email... I as will give them credit for that.

[MP81]

Mine just said "So yeah, sorry, you're SOL"