Michigan Achievement Scholarship website launches to help students save thousands for college
LANSING, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A new website launched Wednesday by the state of Michigan will help students apply for scholarships to save thousands of dollars toward college costs.
The new webpage states that starting with the graduating class of 2023, students will be eligible for more financial aid from the state of Michigan, if their family demonstrates financial need, as determined in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Applying and qualifying for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship will help lower the cost of college by thousands of dollars a year. Students should talk to their parents or guardian, gather documents, and fill out their (FAFSA) as soon as possible to save up to $8,250 over three years as they earn their associate degree at a community college, up to $20,000 over five years at a private college, or up to $27,500 over five years at a public university.
"For too long, high costs have been a barrier to higher education," said Governor Whitmer. "I am so excited that we worked across the aisle to establish the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, lowering the cost of college by thousands of dollars a year for the vast majority of graduating seniors, starting with the class of 2023. All students need to do to get their Michigan Achievement Scholarship is fill out their FAFSA. I encourage every student going to community college, private college, or a public university in Michigan to speak with their parents or guardian, get their documents together, and fill out their FAFSA to save thousands of dollars."
"The Michigan Achievement Scholarship will make additional education possible for the majority of Michigan's new college students after they earn their high school diploma or equivalency," said Sarah Szurpicki, director of the Office of Sixty by 30. "This scholarship is game-changing for Michigan families. Creating more pathways to education beyond high school means creating more pathways for Michigan students, families, and businesses to succeed."
Michigan Achievement Scholarship
To make college more affordable for families, grow Michigan's talent pool, and get the state closer to achieving its Sixty by 30 goal, the governor signed bipartisan legislation creating the Michigan Achievement Scholarship. This legislation builds on Governor Whitmer's promise in 2019 to pass Michigan Reconnect and Michigan Opportunity Scholarships to reach the state's Sixty by 30 goal of 60% of adults with a skill certificate or college degree by 2030.
Starting with the class of 2023, graduates are eligible for annual scholarships up to:
• $2,750 at a community college
• $4,000 at a private college or university
• $5,500 at a public university
The scholarships are renewable for up to 3 years at a community college and up to 5 years at a private college or public university, totaling up to:
• $8,250 at community college
• $20,000 at a private college or university
• $27,500 at a public university
Students will be eligible if their family demonstrates financial need when they complete the FAFSA. The Michigan Achievement Scholarship will cover:
• 94% of students attending community colleges
• 79% of students attending a private college or university
• 76% of students attending a public university
For more information on how to get your Michigan Achievement Scholarship, visit Michigan.gov/MIStudentAid.
College and university leaders from across the state shared their support for the initiative, including:
This is a game changer for students in the UP for whom the cost of college can be a significant barrier," Laura Coleman, President of Bay College. "We are excited to welcome Michigan Achievement Scholars at Bay College starting in 2023 and even more excited to help increase the number of Michiganders with college degrees and certificates by 2030."
"We appreciate the bipartisan effort that created the Michigan Achievement Scholarship," said Bob Davies, President of Central Michigan University. "At CMU, we have taken enormous steps to ensure accessibility and affordability for students, including keeping tuition low and offering a robust scholarship program. This new scholarship will enhance those efforts for the benefit of our students."
"The Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which provides up to $2,750 for 2023 MI high school seniors attending one of Michigan's 31 community colleges, is an amazing addition to the campaign for the drive to Sixty by 30," said David Devier, President of Glen Oaks Community College. "It, coupled with the MI Reconnect program for 21-year-old and older Michiganders, provides an option for every Michigan citizen the opportunity to achieve a career credential. "
"At Lake Superior State University, 60 percent of our students are the first in their families to attend college, and 55 percent come from a background of extreme financial need," said Rodney Hanley, President of Lake Superior State University. "Almost all students who are eligible for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship will be able to attend LSSU tuition free. This scholarship program will be nothing less than transformational in the lives of our students and the economy of Michigan."
"Research clearly shows that earning a college degree leads to individual prosperity and supports the economic vitality of our communities," said James Sawyer, President of Macomb Community College. "The Michigan Achievement Scholarship is a great investment in our youth that will not only yield returns for them over their entire lifetime, but will also benefit their families and our communities."
"Michigan Technological University is excited to see this investment in the future Michigan workforce," said Rick Koubek, President of Michigan Technological University. "Critical skills degrees are the foundation for building Michigan's economy. And, with 94 percent of our graduates employed within their field of study after graduation, it's one more reason that students choose Michigan Tech for their undergraduate degree."
"The Michigan Achievement Scholarship is a financial boost to families trying to pay for college and completing the FAFSA is all it takes to apply." said Peter Provenzano, Chancellor of Oakland Community College. "This common sense approach to financial aid allows families to focus on getting started with their academic journey."
"We are grateful for the State's forward thinking financial-aid investment to help make a college degree affordable for Michigan residents," said Domenico Grasso, Chancellor of the University of Michigan-Dearborn. "The Michigan Achievement Scholarship will help put a college education within financial reach. This will not only change the trajectories of many students' lives but will also help to produce the talent needed to keep Michigan's economy thriving."
"We applaud this bipartisan effort to increase college affordability and we encourage all students and their families to fill out the FAFSA," said Edward Montgomery, President of Western Michigan University. "Earning a college degree has never been more valuable and this scholarship is sure to serve as a pathway to prosperity for many of Michigan's next generation of workers."