Saginaw Valley State University will unveil a free-tuition program in the coming weeks. Central Michigan University’s program is so new it’s not yet on their website. And Ferris State joined the free tuition club two weeks ago.
There are at least 11 four-year colleges and universities with tuition-free programs for designated groups of students. Include recently announced state programs offering free community college to most Michigan adults, and colleges that accept students who qualify for a special scholarship for Detroit students, and that number swells to at least 23 four-year universities and colleges and 31 community colleges.
Some of the offers are limited to students who come from low-income families or live in specific communities. And many students could have gotten tuition for free or a deep discount before the programs were announced. Still, the programs are likely to lure more students to campuses, and help the state boost degree attainment as a means to increase
Crain s editorial: Opportunity for all
Hoover Tower on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.
Some problems are obvious, and yet the solutions remain elusive even when those solutions would lead to substantial social and economic benefits.
Such is the case with a story we ran Feb. 22, by education reporter Amy Morona, headlined, Ivory towers: How higher education is failing Black Americans in the Midwest.
If you haven t read the piece, by all means do so. A one-sentence summary: Black Americans in Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit, as well as the nation, remain underrepresented at our best colleges and overrepresented at some of our worst. And some numbers: In Cleveland, nearly half of city residents are Black, but Case Western Reserve University, the city s most selective college, reported only 6% of its population was made up of Black students in 2018. (At nearby public universities, the numbers were a little better 8% at Kent State and about 15% at Clevela
How higher education is failing Black Americans in the Midwest
Amy Morona
Andrea Levy for Crain s Detroit Business
Roughly 17,500 students enrolled at the University of Chicago this past fall. Eight hundred and twenty-eight of that group, just 4.7 percent of its total population, are Black, including Claire Shackleford.
The 21-year-old detailed an experience where required reading lists lean heavily into works by white male authors. There are fewer professors of color, so students instead befriend Black cafeteria workers or custodians for support. It s common, she said, to be the only Black student in a classroom. The burden of being a student of color at a predominantly white institution is that you re often expected to speak on behalf of your race, she said.
LANSING Michigan high school seniors are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1 to ensure priority consideration for state aid.
The FAFSA is a critical step when applying for grants, scholarships and student loans. Students who complete the form on or before March 1 will be given priority consideration for the Michigan Competitive Scholarship and Michigan Tuition Grant, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury.
Those who wait to complete the FAFSA until after March 1 may not receive all the financial aid they would have been entitled to receive.
Additionally, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) have partnered for the second annual Governor’s FAFSA Challenge this year. The campaign, part of MCAN’s College Cash Campaign, encourages Michigan high schools to increase their FAFSA completion rate.
Whitmer
Governor Whitmer Creates the Student Recovery Advisory Council
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LANSING, Mich. Governor Whitmer today signed Executive Order 2021-02, to create the Student Recovery Advisory Council of Michigan. As Michigan continues to work around the clock to eliminate COVID-19, the Student Recovery Council will provide guidance and recommendations to ensure Michigan students have the tools and resources they need to get back on track.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has hit Michigan hard, and our students, families, teachers, and school staff have all felt the strain. Still, our educators have worked tirelessly to teach our children during this pandemic under the most stressful conditions, and for that our state is forever indebted to them for their service,” said