In-state students seeking an alternative to the Michigan Promise Scholarship that was eliminated in the state's 2010 fiscal year budget may find aid in the form of need-based scholarships in the next legislative term under Governor-elect Rick Snyder.

Snyder and the slate of incoming state legislators haven’t completed an extensive budget analysis yet, but both say they’re working to combat the loss of the scholarship that provided $500 to $4,000 in merit-based funding to nearly 96,000 students. And while state legislators say they don’t expect to bring the scholarship back, they’re confident they’ll be able to address the overall structure of the state’s financial aid system.

Snyder spokesman Ryan Kazmirzack said in an interview that one of Snyder's initiatives is to refocus the scholarship so that it is geared toward helping need-based students. He added that Snyder plans to focus on trying to lower the cost of tuition.

Last February, Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s budget proposal included plans for an altered version of the Promise Scholarship through a $4,000-tax credit, given to students who earn a college degree at a university in the state and then work for one year in Michigan, as part of an effort to stimulate the state's economic recovery.

However, the proposal never came to fruition, leaving thousands of students still without funding.

In a statement issued to The Michigan Daily yesterday, Granholm’s spokeswoman Katelyn Carey wrote that the governor is discouraged by the fact that legislators haven’t funded the scholarship, especially given her quest to increase college graduation rates by making college more affordable.

“Doubling the number of college graduates has always been a top priority for Governor Granholm and she remains deeply disappointed that it still remains unfunded,” Carey wrote. “The governor has worked to put the toughest educational standards in place and the Michigan Promise is an important step in reaching that goal.”

State Rep. Joan Bauer (D–Lansing), chair of the House Higher Education Appropriations Committee, said she doesn’t foresee a reinstatement of the Michigan Promise Scholarship similar to Granholm’s proposal because of the vast funding needed to support it and the state's large budget deficit.

“I don’t see the Promise grant becoming as it was under Granholm just because of the sheer magnitude of financial resources needed,” Bauer said. “I don’t see that being something we discuss a great deal next year, but I think we need to have a very serious discussion about financial aid in general.”

Bauer said financial aid and student loans will continue to be a major focus in the upcoming legislative term, particularly in simplifying and modifying the system as a whole in order to lower student debt.

“What I would foresee is revamping the financial aid system,” Bauer said. “We have been really taking a look on the whole issue of financial aid and trying to come up with a system that makes it simpler, that will address the whole issue of college being accessible and affordable to our students.”

Cynthia Wilbanks, the University’s vice president for government relations, said the large state deficit will make it difficult to create large-scale programs like a revamped Michigan Promise Scholarship. However, she added that the legislature and Snyder would be analyzing the budget thoroughly to see how government programs can help students.