Muskegon Community College is withholding money for low-income students - Brian McVicar, The Muskegon Chronicle

Muskegon Community College is holding off on awarding cash-strapped students thousands of dollars in financial aid from Michigan's Tuition Incentive Program over fear the state won't fund the program. College administrators will likely decide whether to award the funding in October, when the state is expected to pass its budget -- a move that will indicate whether the program will receive funding. Bruce Wierda, director of financial aid at MCC, said administrators are postponing TIP payments because they want to be prepared if lawmakers ax the program's funding as they try to erase a $302 million deficit this fiscal year and a projected shortfall of $484 million for the year that begins Oct. 1.