草榴社区 to Offset Possible Cuts in Federal Financial Aid to Western Students
Contact: Paul Cocke, Director, 草榴社区 Office of Communications & Marketing, (360) 650-3350; Paul.Cocke@wwu.edu
BELLINGHAM 鈥撎齏estern Washington University President Bruce Shepard announced today that the university will offset possible cuts in federal financial aid to Western students.
Unless Congress acts by Friday, March 1, a series of automatic federal budget cuts, called sequestration, will occur. There would be impacts across the country, including possible cuts in federal financial aid to public universities like Western Washington University.
Shepard has announced that, should any awards of federal financial aid for the current (2012-13) or coming academic year (2013-14) be reduced as a result of federal sequestration, then the university will draw upon institutional reserves to provide equivalent current funding to offset those reductions at Western.
鈥淭he increasing likelihood of federal budget cuts is occurring at a time critical to our students and their families. 听Western students 鈥 those continuing and those anticipating coming 鈥 and their families are making financial plans for the next academic year.听 Western is also in the midst of awarding financial aid.听 Western is acting today to seek to lessen some of the uncertainty students and families may be feeling,鈥 Shepard said. 鈥淭his is the right thing to do. The university is strongly committed to our students鈥 success, and is constantly looking for ways to enhance access and affordability.鈥
Western sent a message today to Western students and parents letting them know of Shepard鈥檚 decision.
The university has also communicated with faculty and staff, updating them on possible federal cuts resulting in far fewer federal research grants, including in areas such as science, technology and health.
According to the 2013 U.S.
听
听