Andy Kroll, who writes for The Michigan Daily at University of Michigan, got a national byline at CNN today with the CNNU piece Uncertain future for auto industry children.

A snippet:

For Dmitry Vodopyanov, 21, a senior at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, each week that goes by holds another chance his father, a Chrysler engineer, could lose his job without any warning.

And what makes the situation even more uncertain, Vodopyanov added, is that his father relies almost entirely on the media to learn about the latest updates on Chrysler’s future.

“He’s always worried about it,” Vodopyanov said. “And if he’s stressed, then I’m stressed.”

Looking to cut costs, the Big Three have thrown numerous company benefits on the chopping block this year. Among them are tuition assistance programs, which provide employees with money for continuing education classes and degrees. …

Each of the Big Three has also said it will suspend dependent scholarship programs, in which dependents of employees received scholarships to help pay tuition costs.

Unfortunately, yes, scholarships and financial assistance programs can and do disappear on short notice. I can cite examples both from my college days and my daughter’s current college years where foundations and programs changed directions or ran out of funds — forcing students who were eligible for those funds to scramble for other options.

If you live in southeast Michigan and need to look for those resources, I have a sidebar that lists regional and state resources for college funding.