By: Juliana Keeping
AnnArbor.com Higher Education Reporter
Posted: Feb 10, 2010 at 11:19 AM [Feb 10, 2010]
It's a cold day for higher education.
• In Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University cancelled classes today due to the winter storm that dumped 9.5 inches of snow on Tuesday.
• At the University of Michigan, Russian coaches and two pairs of Olympic-bound ice dancers are helping to put the city on the map for the sport, the Michigan Daily reports.
Winter weather has hit college campuses. Students at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. created this gigantic snowball Feb. 5.
AP Photo John Terhune
• In Virginia, police leveled felony charges - for snowball throwing - against two college students they say pelted a city plow and an undercover police car during last weekend's blizzard, The Smoking Gun reports. Two students face up to five years in prison if convicted of throwing missiles at occupied vehicles.
• Thursday in Lansing, Gov. Jennifer Granholm will announce her budget proposal for the next fiscal year via State Budget Director Bob Emerson. University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University officials are wondering whether Granholm will try to put the freeze on higher education funding, and how, exactly, she might go about restoring the slashed Michigan Promise scholarship program, which she pledged to do at her State of the State address.
Meanwhile, Capitol insiders wondered the same thing and said more financial aid programs in the next budget cycle could go.
"We've been trying to find revenue to replace it (Michigan Promise), and we haven't been able to really get any agreement from the Senate on raising any additional revenue at this point," said Joan Bauer, D-Lansing, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee and chairs the Higher Education Appropriations Committee.
What's left of state financial aid programs - about $81 million in tuition grants and incentives and Michigan Competitive scholarships - is the "only place left to do any cutting," Bauer said.
Juliana Keeping covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter
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Richard C
Posted Feb 10
"try revive"? Any proof-reading at AnnArbor.com ?
Juliana Keeping
AnnArbor.com Staff
Posted Feb 10
We fixed it RC.
lynndee
Posted Feb 10
I believe it should read "try to revive", not "try and revive".
Duane Collicott
Posted Feb 10
lynndee is correct.
julswl
Posted Feb 10
A Promise is a Promise, and unforgivable that this generation is getting yet another huge hit to their pocketbooks, worthiness and investment in their future. SHAME ON THE MICHIGAN PROMISE. These were our highest achieving scholars who were lied to!!!
EyeHeartA2
Posted Feb 10
Is it just me, or would most of us prefer polls that read
Yes
No
Instead of:
Yes (some logic I don't agree with)
No(some logic I don't agree with)
What if I want to vote:
No - we don't have the money now, sorry.
No - I don't like college kids
No - I'm unusually cranky today
No - My kids are all done with college
No - My kids flunked the MEAP
or
Yes - You can all pay for my kid who is in college
Yes - I have extra money laying around
Yes - As long as it comes from taxes, it must be free
skigrl
Posted Feb 11
Please remember that the Michigan Promise Scholarship money was supposed to come from tobacco lawsuit money, not out of the pockets of the people from Michigan.