Monday, March 28th, 2011

With the future of two important student aid programs still up in the air for the coming academic year, it is more important than ever to follow standard procedures for applying for student aid.

And as the debate on these programs continues in Lansing and Washington, D.C., it is also important that individual students let their representatives know what financial aid means to them, according to Mark Martin, Lawrence Tech’s financial aid director.

As in past years, students should start their search for student aid grants and scholarships by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the upcoming 2011–12 academic year. Students should make every attempt to submit all of their financial aid documentation to the One Stop Center by April 1.

If students have already completed the FAFSA for the upcoming fall semester, they can check their status online. If they have any questions, they can contact the One Stop Center at ext. 2280 or enrollmentservices@ltu.edu.

Students planning to take classes for the summer semester should also pursue financial aid opportunities prior to the registration period that runs from April 23 to May 17. See

Lawrence Tech’s summer financial aid application announcement for more information.

Martin said that students should also be aware that new federal regulations regarding Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) will go into effect July 1. Lawrence Tech will institute a new process this spring and summer that could affect student eligibility. All awards for the upcoming summer and fall may be subject to SAP eligibility changes upon review of spring and summer 2011 grade progression. See the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress policy link for further information. Students should contact the One Stop Center if they have any questions or concerns.

Students should also remember that all spring semester awards must be accepted and disbursed prior to April 29. Otherwise, the awards will expire and be cancelled.

In the meantime, students also have the ability to influence the debate over educational aid at both the state and federal level.

That’s the message that Lawrence Tech financial aid officer Debra Kollenberg heard when she went to Washington in early March as a representative of the Michigan Student Financial Aid Administrators Association. She spoke in favor of keeping the federal Pell Grants at the same funding level in meetings with three Michigan congressmen and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

“Senator Stabenow stressed how important it is for us to voice our opinion about Pell grants. What they want to hear are the personal stories of students,” Kollenberg said.

There is a proposal in Congress to cut the maximum Pell Grant by $845 from its current level of $5,550.

Students are also faced with the possibility of major cuts in Michigan Tuition Grants maximum award. Last fall the administration of Gov. Jennifer Granholm recommended cutting the maximum grant from $1,610 to $1,512. An additional cut appears likely if the Legislature follows Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposal to combine the current Tuition Grants and Competitive Scholarships funding into a single program to be called “Pathway to Higher Education Grants.”

Congressman Sander Levin (D-MI) discusses the proposed cuts to the Pell Grant program in a column he wrote in the March 27 edition of the Detroit Free Press.

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