The Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City is one of six maritime academies in the country. U.S. Senator Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, met faculty and students today to talk about how new federal legislation is making academies like their's more affordable.
Cadets who attend the academy and commit six years in the Navy Reserve after graduation are eligible to receive up to thirty-two thousand dollars to help pay for their education.
Before the Cadets Act became law, certain financial aid programs were capped for students at age 25. The new law now extends that eligibility to age 41.
Jerry Achenbach is the superintendent of the academy. He said the legislation will help with completion and retention.
“The number one reason why cadets drop out of the Academy is finances, and this will hopefully change that, and we’ll have a higher percentage of cadets graduate,”
Achenbach said.
Achenbach says the legislation will also make the program more accessible to veterans and non-traditional students.