Letter from the Editor: Michigan Ferris Promise

The last thing most college students want to be reminded of is how those who qualify will not be receiving the Michigan Promise funds, barring some intervention during the appropriations process.

Monday, the University announced that it would be using $1.3 million in federal stimulus dollars to provide aid for the fall semester to nearly 10.5 percent of the students of Ferris State.

According to a press release issued by the university two days ago, the 1,312 students who had been anticipating Michigan Promise aid and the 616 expecting the Michigan Competitive scholarship, who also saw a cut in proposed funding by 50 percent, can expect a little financial help from Ferris.

This is great. A million bucks to help a little more than 10 percent of the students is a wonderful thing and I’m glad the university is taking this action to ease the financial burden that difficult economic times have caused.

I only ask that maybe, just maybe, we sneak a few bucks in there for 12,000 of my closest friends and me without a “promise” but still a need.

The Ferris Board of Trustees, who unanimously supported the use of these funds to aid the scholarship-expecting students, is also responsible for approving increases in tuition, like the one Ferris had at the beginning of this year.

Maybe we could have saved a lot of time and headache if instead of charging students more, then giving some of them money back, we just didn’t charge them more to start with.

So please, Ferris, keep on giving. The student body will let you know when to stop… probably.