Using Your Voice to Advocate for the Students of WMU

6-16-09 – The Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education passed their recommendation for university funding today, eliminating the Michigan Promise Grant Program and reducing university operations by 0.4% due to the lack of federal stimulus dollars intended to fully fund the 15 campuses.  

The Senate budget also significantly reduced funding to the Competitive and Tuition Grants programs.  The reduction in need and merit based financial aid highlights some of the painful cuts and tough decisions required from those in Lansing.  Unfortunately, there is little to no discussion or agreement between the two legislative chambers and Governor’s office on what a final higher education budget will look like – putting families and institutions in a holding pattern on what resources will ultimately be available to them.  

We continue to urge those elected and serving to act responsibly and solve Michigan’s economic crisis and to end the political gamesmanship and partisan posturing.  

Please consider contacting your legislator (Find your Your Legislator) and urge them to use the resources available to them and do the job they were elected to do.  Advocate that they present a plan of spending reductions, government reforms and revenue increases to lift Michigan out of this extreme down cycle and transform move our economy into the 21^st Century.