Friday, September 10th, 2010

In recognition of the slow economic recovery in Michigan, Lawrence Technological University is extending its 50 percent tuition “Recovery Grants” to 200 additional students in time for the fall semester.

The tuition grants are designed to help displaced workers or their dependent children to obtain the educational training needed to make a transition to a new career. Lawrence Tech has introduced more than 40 fast-track certificate programs that will position graduates for employment opportunities in emerging areas of the Michigan economy, including energy, defense, film and life sciences. Many degree programs can also lead to careers in these and other growing sectors.

“The lagging economy is still having an impact on many Michigan families. These tuition grants can help displaced workers prepare for the careers of the future,” said Lawrence Tech President Lewis Walker.

Lawrence Tech provided some $3 million to introduce its “Recovery Starts Here” program in December 2008, when many Michigan families were facing layoffs at the start of the national recession. More than 400 students benefitted from those tuition grants. The program was the first in the state and one of the first in the nation aimed at retooling workers for new careers or getting them through college.

This new round of Lawrence Tech Recovery Grants will fund 50 percent of the tuition for 200 displaced workers or their dependent children who meet the admissions criteria for the academic programs they wish to enter. Candidates must submit with their admissions application a dated buyout letter, separation agreement or unemployment application to show they have been displaced within the past 12 months.

Grant recipients will be expected to proceed on a full-time schedule until they have completed their degree or certificate programs, taking a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester if undergraduates, and six credit hours if graduate students. The tuition grant remains in place until the student completes a degree or certificate program.

Students may be able to combine the Recovery grant with other forms of educational aid. The state’s No Worker Left Behind program provides up to two years’ worth of free tuition for unemployed workers to pursue a degree or certificate in a high-demand occupation or emerging industry. And federal assistance is available through the Trade Adjustment Assistance program.

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