Higher education: tuition; Michigan tuition grant program; modify. Amends secs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 7a of 1966 PA 313 (MCL 390.991 et seq.).
SB 197 revises Michigan’s tuition grant program for students attending eligible private, nonprofit colleges and universities in the state. The bill updates terminology and administration to reflect the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential as the agency responsible for the program, replacing references to the Michigan Higher Education Assistance Authority in the operative sections. It preserves the basic structure of the grant program: grants are available to eligible Michigan residents enrolled as undergraduate, graduate, or dental students at approved independent nonprofit institutions, with priority for full-time students.
The bill also restates and clarifies eligibility rules and award limits. Applicants must have lived in Michigan continuously for the prior 12 months, not be residents of another state, and not be incarcerated. Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress, and grant eligibility is limited by semester caps, with special treatment for students enrolled during the 2020 spring term and 2020-2021 academic year. The bill continues to bar grants for theology, divinity, or religious education programs, prohibits concurrent receipt with Michigan Achievement Scholarships or state competitive scholarships, and allows proportionate grants when a student receives only partial private scholarship support. Grant amounts remain tied to family financial resources and cannot exceed tuition and fees or a department-determined maximum.
In terms of state law impact, SB 197 amends multiple sections of the existing Michigan tuition grant statute, updating cross-references, agency names, and administrative language while leaving the core grant program intact. It directs the department to promulgate rules under the Administrative Procedures Act and maintains the financial-aid framework used to calculate awards. The bill affects resident students at eligible independent nonprofit colleges and universities, as well as the state agency administering higher education aid.
The overall sentiment reflected by the bill text is neutral and administrative rather than controversial. Because no committee transcript or vote record is provided, there is no evidence of public debate, support, or opposition in the available materials. The measure appears aimed at technical modernization and clarification of an existing aid program, with the main policy choices—eligibility restrictions, religious-program exclusions, and coordination with other scholarships—carried forward from current law.
Notable points of potential contention, based on the statutory structure, include the exclusion of students in theology, divinity, or religious education programs, the restriction on students who receive Michigan Achievement Scholarships or state competitive scholarships, and the limitation of aid to students attending private nonprofit institutions in Michigan. These provisions may be of interest to private colleges, financial aid administrators, and students seeking to combine multiple forms of assistance.
SB 197 amends the Michigan tuition grant law, updating the administering agency name to the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential and revising statutory language for consistency. It preserves the existing grant program for resident students at eligible independent nonprofit colleges and universities, while maintaining eligibility rules, award caps, and coordination with other scholarship programs. The bill affects the state’s higher education financial aid statutes and the students and institutions participating in the tuition grant program.
No committee testimony or vote history is provided, so the available record does not show organized support or opposition. Based on the text alone, the bill appears to be a largely technical and administrative update to an existing aid program, with no obvious major policy shift. The tone of the legislation is neutral, focused on modernization, clarification, and conforming statutory references.
The main areas that could generate disagreement are the program’s exclusions and coordination rules: students in theology, divinity, or religious education programs remain ineligible; students receiving Michigan Achievement Scholarships or state competitive scholarships cannot receive the tuition grant concurrently; and aid is limited to students at eligible private nonprofit institutions in Michigan. These provisions may be viewed as restrictive by affected students and institutions, while supporters may see them as necessary limits to target state aid and avoid duplicate funding.