Trine’s Northern Neighbors Award replaces funds lost by Michigan Tuition Grant veto

Michigan students whose hopes of attending a private college or university were dashed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s veto of the Michigan Tuition Grant now have the opportunity to make up those funds not far away.

Trine University, a private university located about 10 miles south of the Michigan state line in Angola, Indiana, has announced the Northern Neighbors Award for Michigan students. The award provides $2,400 annually toward tuition for Michigan residents, both newly enrolled first-year and transfer students for fall 2020, seeking a traditional undergraduate degree at Trine.

“The benefits of private higher education more than outweigh the cost, but $2,400 each year can have a huge impact on a family’s budget,” said Kim Bennett, assistant vice president for enrollment management at Trine. “We want to put the option back in reach for students who were negatively impacted by this veto.”

The Northern Neighbors Award is part of the generous financial aid offered to students at Trine, which totaled more than $33 million last year. Ninety-eight percent of Trine students receive some form of financial aid.

The university charges the same tuition rate to in-state and out-of-state students.

Trine offers career-focused degree programs in engineering, business, health sciences, education, and the arts and sciences, with more than 99 percent of the university’s graduates obtaining jobs or entering graduate school within six months of finishing their degree. Students benefit from small class sizes, with a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and personal attention from faculty members who are experts in their field.

To be eligible for the Northern Neighbors Award, Michigan students must apply and be admitted to a degree-seeking program, and must submit a FAFSA by March 1.

Unlike the Michigan Tuition Grant, the Trine award is open to all Michigan students and is not need-based. It is only applicable to tuition, and may be limited if a student receives other tuition awards from the university.

More information is available at trine.edu/michigan.

The Michigan Tuition Grant benefited nearly 17,000 students in 2018, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury. That grant awarded up to $2,400 per academic year to students attending one of about 30 private colleges in Michigan.

Trine University employment rate based on 2014-18 Trine University Graduation Class Knowledge Rate of 87.6%, 1409 of 1608 main campus undergraduates responding. Compared to 2017 Graduation Class National Knowledge Rate of 64.5% from 549,664 total recorded.