Wayne State announces changes to debt forgiveness program
(CBS DETROIT) - Wayne State University announced it is expanding its debt forgiveness program to support students with an outstanding balance who left university without receiving a degree.
The Warrior Way Back Program offers debt forgiveness to students with an outstanding balance due to the university that is preventing them from getting their degrees.
With the update, students could be eligible for up to $4,000 or debt forgiveness.
"When we introduced Warrior Way Back, we wanted to challenge the widespread practice of account and transcript holds that have unnecessary punitive effects, which disproportionately affect low-income students and exacerbate racial inequities," said President M. Roy Wilson. "Wayne State is investing in the success of these students - and the successes they will bring their communities and employers - because we believe everyone should have equal access to higher education. We're thrilled to be able to help even more Warriors re-enroll and achieve their aspiration of completing a degree."
Through this program, eligible students will reduce their balance by one-fourth at the end of each semester they complete until the debt is gone.
According to the university, almost 400 students have enrolled in the Warrior Way Back program, with 125 having completed their degrees and more working towards graduation.
Here are the requirements for returning students to qualify for the program:
- You must have a WSU cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher.
- You must owe a balance of $4,000 or less to WSU.
- You must not have enrolled in any class at WSU for the past two or more years.
- You must not have earned a bachelor's degree at any other institution
- You must have a current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file.
There are also resources for returning students who do not qualify for this program. Individuals can contact the Adult Learner success team to get information on weekly programs, academic advising and more.
