Butts, Thomas A.

Thomas A. Butts, an expert in financial aid and student loan programs, worked for the University of Michigan in various capacities beginning in 1964. He worked in admissions, orientation and government relations in addition to serving as director of student financial aid 1971-1977. He was a policy advisor for the federal government on financial aid from 1977 to 1981.

Thomas Butts devoted his career to improving student financial aid and loan programs. He first worked for the University of Michigan from 1964 to 1977. He was an admissions counselor, 1964-1966; Assistant Director of Admissions, 1966-1967; Director of Student Orientation, 1967-1977; Assistant Director of ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) and CAPS (Counseling and Personnel Services), 1967-1977, and Director of Student Financial Aid, 1971-1977.

While he was Director of Financial Aid, Thomas Butts was involved with the National Task Force on Student Aid Problems, a short-term working group charged with analyzing the process of applying for financial aid. It was active from May 1974 to July 1975. Thomas Butts was chair of the Working Committee for Common Form, which was involved in designing and testing a nation-wide form for applying for financial aid. The Task Force became the National Student Aid Coalition in 1975, and Thomas Butts served as the chair of the Committee on Need Analysis and Delivery, 1975-1977.

In 1977, he took a leave of absence from the University of Michigan and served the federal government, from 1977 to 1981. He was a policy advisor for Student Financial Assistance, under the U.S. Office of Education, from 1977 to 1979. He then served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Student Assistance from 1979 to 1981, and was Acting Deputy Commissioner during the establishment of the Education Department. He was also involved in several task forces and committees dealing with specific issues at the time, including the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, and was called upon to testify before congressional subcommittees.

In 1981, he returned to the employ of the University of Michigan, where he remained until his retirement in 1999. He worked out of the university's Washington D.C. office, and was active in student loan legislation issues. He was the Government Relations Officer, 1981-1991; Executive Director of the Washington D.C. Office, 1990-1999; and Associate Vice President for Government Relations, 1991-1999. During this time, he was very active in promoting legislation for the Direct Loan Program. He also served as an adjunct faculty member for the Center for Higher and Postsecondary Education, from 1990 to 1999.