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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><img width=147 height=147 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CBFF4B.5F968080" alt=SpiritLogo><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Dear Lions,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>At this time of the year, financial aid offices around the nation are typically busy sending out award notices to their students for the upcoming academic year. For the 2011-2012 year, the process of providing you with accurate information regarding your financial aid is not typical. All schools, including Texas A&M University-Commerce, are in the midst of significant changes affecting financial aid. Federal and state financial aid programs are in a state of flux as federal and state legislative bodies respond to calls for significant cuts in programs at all levels of government. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The effect of the budget cuts will impact several financial aid programs, most significantly Pell Grants, TEXAS grants, and B-On-Time loans, among others. Some will experience changes in award amounts or in the eligibility criteria, while others, such as the ACG, SMART, LEAP, have been cancelled. Without decisions about funding for financial aid programs, financial aid awards at this time can only be estimates. The final aid package may be more or less money depending on decisions made by Congress and the Texas Legislature. The viability of state financial aid programs may not be known until July. Since we do not know what funding will be available until sometime in the future, we are significantly challenged in developing a financial aid award that you can rely on completely. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>We understand that you and your family need to know what grant, loan and scholarship resources will be available to you as you make your plans for next year. We are working very hard to get resolution about these important financial aid programs and are monitoring all notices and events occurring at the federal and state levels. Please know that, even though we are not yet sending out notices, we are busy reviewing applications, processing documents and getting applications ready for when awarding will be possible. As decisions are made, we will provide you with accurate, up-to-date information as it is available. We are committed to your success as a student and will do everything we can to provide you with enrollment resources.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>We want to stress the importance of searching for scholarship opportunities now. If you have an existing, renewable scholarship, you will see the award posted to your account within the month of May. For those who applied for departmental and general scholarships by the February 2011 deadline, offer notification emails will begin in May. All of the notifications will be sent to your myLEO e-mail account, so we encourage you to check it often. Also, we want you to know that we do offer a section on the scholarship website that directs students to </span><a href="http://web.tamu-commerce.edu/admissions/tuitionCosts/financialAidandScholarships/scholarships/outsideScholarships.aspx"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>outside scholarship resources</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>. We encourage you to apply for as many outside scholarship opportunities as you can find! Please know that we are here to assist you through any and all of these scholarship processes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>We will work diligently to keep our </span><a href="http://web.tamu-commerce.edu/admissions/onestopshop/financialAidAndScholarships/default.aspx"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>website updated</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> with changes as we receive them and resources as we identify them. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact your Texas A&M University-Commerce Office of </span><a href="mailto:FAO_Web@tamu-commerce.edu"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Financial Aid</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> and </span><a href="mailto:Scholarships@tamu-commerce.edu"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Scholarships</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Best wishes,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="http://web.tamu-commerce.edu/admissions/onestopshop/">Enrollment Management and Retention</a></span><span class=MsoHyperlink><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=MsoHyperlink><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="http://web.tamu-commerce.edu/admissions/onestopshop/">Division of Student Access and Success</a></span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://web.tamu-commerce.edu/admissions/onestopshop/financialAidAndScholarships/default.aspx"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>903.886.5096<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:FAO_Web@tamu-commerce.edu"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>FAO_Web@tamu-commerce.edu</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:Scholarships@tamu-commerce.edu"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Scholarships@tamu-commerce.edu</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>