Friday, December 10, 2021

An anonymous $550 million gift to Western Michigan University will help fund tuition-free education and low-cost housing

This is not specifically relevant to news about developmental disabilities, but it is the sort of thing everyone should know about and pass on to friends who might benefit from this.The dog at left is the late Lucy Barker, not to be confused with our current dog, Polly Barker.

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An anonymous $550 million gift to Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, will help fund “tuition-free education, low-cost housing, a new innovative Living Learning Community and internship stipends for students attending the Kalamazoo school”, according to an article in the Detroit Free Press by David Jesse, 12/9/21. “It is the largest single gift ever given to any public university in the nation.”

According to the article, the University will launch several programs to help students:

  • “The first, the new Bronco Promise will provide a tuition-free WMU education for up to five years for first-year students who come from Michigan families earning an adjusted gross income of $50,000 or less who have net assets under $50,000, the school said in a news release. University officials plan to hand out the scholarships to 340 students in the 2022-23 academic year and a projected 600 students each year after.
  • “Western will also create a program to give up to $6,000 in housing and dining scholarships to 110 incoming students for their first year. That will cover about half of living expenses for a year, the school said. It will also create a new Living Learning Community for the students. They will live together in double occupancy rooms in a section of one of Western's residence halls. 
  • “Students who attend Kalamazoo Public Schools or have a Detroit or Grand Rapids address will get preference for the need-based scholarships, but all Michigan residents are eligible to apply. Applications are due Feb. 15, and decisions will be released in March.
  • “Western is also creating a program that will subsidize up to $3,600 in wages for up to 100 students each year with competitive, need-based stipends. The internships will be for students working with private and nonprofit organizations, the university said.”
  • “The school will also give 800 upper-level students each year a need-based award up to $1,000 that can be applied to tuition and fees to help students complete their degrees.”

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From Wikipedia: “Western Michigan University (WMU) is a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo. Its enrollment, as of the Fall 2019 semester, was 21,470... It is classified among 'R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity'...