Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Welcome to my latest e-newsletter! It continues to be a privilege to represent Livonia, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our community in Lansing. I encourage you to stay up to date on what’s going on in Lansing and continue to let me know about the issues that matter to you.

If there is anything I can do to help you and your family, please do not hesitate to call my office at (517) 373-3920 or email me at LauriePohutsky@house.mi.gov. You can also catch me on Facebook.

Legislative Update

Session

To see what the legislature voted on during our most recent session, please click here. As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office.

Constituent Resources

MI Student Aid Team Offers Seven Financial Aid Best Practices Tips

As Michiganders prepare for the upcoming fall semester and start paying their college tuition bills, the Michigan Department of Treasury’s MI Student Aid Team is asking students and their families to be alert and informed when considering student loans.

To make the best decision regarding student loans, the MI Student Aid team recommends seven best practices when considering student loans:

  1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Colleges use information from FAFSA to determine their financial aid awards. By completing and submitting FAFSA, students maximize all their financial aid options.
  2. Understand loans must be repaid. Not all financial aid included in a financial aid award letter is free money. Many financial aid awards will include federal student loans. Unlike grants and scholarships, loans must be repaid with interest.
  3. Check the amount of interest being offered on a loan before accepting it. Federal student loans, Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) loans and private loans have varying interest rates and repayment terms. Before taking out loans, students should identify and compare each loan’s interest rate and then accept the loans with the best interest rates and repayment terms.
  4. Only accept the amount you will need. Students can either turn down a loan or request a smaller loan amount, and the financial award letter should include instructions on how to do this.
  5. Be aware of loan scams. In a typical student loan scam, a scammer will ask for banking information from a student searching for loans. The scammer typically claims they will use the information to make a direct deposit into the student’s account in return for upfront fees paid through gift cards. Instead, the scammer accesses the student’s banking account and withdraws funds.
  6. Visit the school’s financial aid office once a semester. Even though students may not have to begin repaying their loans while they are in school, students should not wait to understand their responsibilities. Students should know the status of their college’s or university’s student account and keep track of the types of aid they receive. By making this a habit, students can avoid overborrowing and stay within their budget.
  7. Create a studentaid.gov account. The studentaid.gov website, managed by the U.S. Department of Education, is a one-stop shop for managing federal student aid. This account allows students to track their federal student loans, check the interest rate of each one and see the total interest accumulated to date. Students can also look over different repayment options, estimate monthly payments and learn who their loan servicer is for when repayment begins.

Individuals nationwide have nearly $1.6 trillion in outstanding student loan debt, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

For more information go to www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid or contact MI Student Aid at mistudentaid@michigan.gov, (888) 447-2687, or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Community Update

South East Community Alliance Michigan Works! Virtual Job Fair

Monroe and Wayne County employers currently have thousands of open positions. Join SEMCA Michigan Works! on Wednesday, Aug. 24, from 9 a.m. to noon for an opportunity to find new job opportunities.

When you register, you will be given access to the employers’ virtual booths. You will be able to chat with employers directly and make connections based on your skills and the positions they may have available.

Want to prepare for the event? Consider contacting a SEMCA Michigan Works! American Job Center near you. They can assist you with sprucing up your resume or preparing you for engagement with employers.

Another great resource is Pure Michigan Talent Connect, the state’s labor exchange  connects job seekers and employers. You can create a free profile at MiTalent.org and upload or create a resume, customize your job preferences and much more.

How Does a Virtual Job Fair Work?

It’s as simple as four easy steps until you could be chatting with your future employer!

REGISTER — Create an account and complete the registration form.

EXPLORE —View information about participating organizations and opportunities.

ATTEND — Log in and join the chat from any device.

CHAT — Connect with representatives for one-on-one chats.

Participating Companies and Job Openings

Meet with representatives from the following Monroe and Wayne County employers who will be participating in this virtual job fair. You can also view open positions for these companies. Check back often as businesses and job openings are added daily. You can view immediate job openings on Pure Michigan Talent Connect.

Connect With a Career Coach

Contact a SEMCA Michigan Works! American Job Center listed below to connect with a success coach that will work with you to prepare for the event.

Events

Coffee Hours

Coffee Hour

I hope you can join me for one of my upcoming in-person and virtual coffee hours! I look forward to having an informal conversation with you about the issues families face in our community. In-person coffee hours are held at Coffee + Cream in Livonia. You can join the livestream for my virtual coffee hours on my Facebook page. Please note that our in-person coffee hour on Sunday, Sept. 4 has been canceled for Labor Day Weekend.

Virtual: Monday, Aug. 22, from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Never hesitate to reach out to me or my staff if you have any questions or concerns!

Sincerely,

Laurie Pohutsky

State Representative

19th House District