Michigan Achievement Scholarship poised to provide increased MI college affordability

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation on Oct. 11 allocating state funds for the creation of the Michigan Achievement Scholarship aimed at providing support to incoming students of higher education institutions.

The bill, which garnered bipartisan support in the state legislature, establishes new scholarship opportunities for students attending public universities, community colleges and private colleges and universities in the state.

According to a press release from the governor’s office, the scholarship would offer up to $2,750 per year for those attending a community college, $5,500 per year for those attending a public university and $4,000 per year for those attending a private college or university.

The scholarship opportunities will be available beginning with the graduating high school class of 2023.

Federal Student Loan Debt Relief applications go live for millions of borrowers

The Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) within the U.S. Department of Education (DoE) introduced on Oct. 14 its long-anticipated application form for millions of borrowers across the nation that qualify under the Biden administration’s student debt forgiveness plan.

Under the plan, those who make less than $125,000 per year individually or less than $250,000 as a family are eligible to apply for up to $20,000 in debt erasure if they have received Federal Pell Grants and up to $10,000 if they have received non-Pell Grant loans.

With the application now live, thousands of current and former students at Grand Valley State University are expected to be affected, with the DoE’s National Center for Education Statistics having found that 57% of the student body received federal student loans during the 2019-20 school year and 29% specifically received Federal Pell Grants.

The application requires borrowers to submit basic identifying information to the FSA including their full name, social security number, date of birth, phone number and email address.

According to the FSA webpage, a final, refined version of the form will be released as applications are accepted, but borrowers who apply under the current Beta version will not need to resubmit the form.

Borrowers can gain access to an application by visiting the FSA’s website.

Obama announces plan to stump for Whitmer, statewide Democrats ahead of Election Day

Former President Barack Obama on Oct. 15, indicated his plans to travel to Michigan ahead of the November midterms to encourage voters to elect statewide Democrats to office.

In statements from both Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s campaign and the former president, their offices indicated the Obama would be present in the Detroit area on Oct. 29 to energize voters in the state’s most populace city and a reliable Democratic bastion.

The announcement follows new polling numbers that show Whitmer’s lead over Republican challenger Tudor Dixon narrowing as Election Day approaches and Dixon seeks to increase her name recognition across the state.