Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Publications contain applications, brochures, flyers, pamphlets, newsletters, reports, and miscellaneous published items from the University of Michigan's Office of Financial Aid detailing the administration and disbursement of financial aid to students.

The Office of Financial Aid (OFA) Publications record group is divided into seven series: Application Forms and Instructions, 1973-1999; Brochures and Pamphlets, ca 1957-1999; Directions in Financial Aid, 1979/80-1984/85, 1990/91; Flyers and Information Sheets, 1986-1996 and undated; Miscellaneous, 1990-1997; Newsletters, 1971-2001; and Reports, 1977-1989. The researcher should note that there are complete print runs for none of the publications in the record group; holdings for each title consist of more or less scattered sets of issues within the date ranges given.

The Office of Financial Aid at the University of Michigan administers need- and merit-based financial support programs for students. The records include topical files detailing the operations of the office, its interactions with other university units and groups, and outside activities, as well as federal funding reports and applications and information on alumni scholarships.

The University of Michigan Office of Financial Aid record group consists of five series: Office of Financial Aid, University of Michigan, Outside Activities, Federal Funding Reports and Applications and Alumni Scholarships. Several accessions were brought together at the time of processing. The files include material mainly from three directors of the office, Tom Butts, Harvey Grotrian, and Judith Harper, as well as from several subordinate departments and staff. A small amount of older material from a predecessor office, the Office of Scholarships (which reported to the Dean of Men), is also included.

Thomas A. Butts, an expert in financial aid and student loan programs, worked for the University of Michigan, 1964-1999. He served as Director of Student Financial Aid (1971-1977), policy advisor and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Student Financial Assistance for the federal government (1977-1981), and was responsible for government relations for the University of Michigan at the Washington D.C. office (1991-1999). The collection documents his work for the University of Michigan admissions office, office of orientation, office of financial aid, and Washington D.C. office of government relations, his work for the U.S. Department of Education, and the evolution of federal student financial aid legislation.

This collection would be of use for research into the role of Thomas Butts at the University of Michigan, the role of the University of Michigan in student financial aid policy, and the evolution of federal student loan policy generally. The collection is composed of six series. The first five correspond to the positions Thomas Butts held (Office of Admissions, Office of Orientation, Office of Financial Aid, U.S. Department of Education, and Washington D.C. Office) and a sixth series, Loans, contains information on specific loan programs. The Loans series especially provides insight into how laws are developed in the federal government, including the evolution of the Higher Education Act and the Direct Loan program. Thomas Butts was involved with many organizations, and a glossary of the main acronyms follows the scope and content note.