Wayne State to offer free tuition to students whose families make under $70,000 annually
Wayne State University will offer free tuition to all Michigan students whose families make under $70,000 a year, the school announced Monday morning.
The move was touted by school officials and politicians as a way to increase higher education opportunities for students across the state and particularly in metro Detroit.
Increasing the social mobility for students has long been a goal, President Roy Wilson said. He noted there needed to be bigger efforts.
"We can't just work around the edges," he said during the announcement. "We have to do something bold. We're stepping it up."
Last year, 46% of first-year Wayne State students had zero out-of-pocket expenses for their tuition and fees thanks to the university’s tuition pledge programs. The new Wayne State Guarantee will push that number to 50%.
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The guarantee will be coupled with the state’s new Michigan Achievement Scholarship that provides up to $5,500 per year for up to five years to students attending a Michigan public university.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was on hand to celebrate the news. She said it will help Michigan meet its goal of increasing the number of working-age adults with a skill certificate or college degree from 50.5% today to 60% by 2030.
She touted Wayne State as helping to increase "efforts to open the door" for students who want to go to college but can't afford it.
In 2021, the median household income in Michigan was $64,488. Students with family incomes of less than $70,000 and assets below $50,000 qualify for the Wayne State Guarantee.
“Too many students and their families do not think that college is an option because it’s too expensive,” said Provost Mark Kornbluh. “However, I think they would be surprised. At Wayne State we have robust financial aid programs and we work very hard to make attending one of the top research universities in the country affordable for each and every student.”
The Wayne State Guarantee covers the full cost of tuition and standard fees with a combination of federal, state, and other WSU scholarships and grants. The award is renewable for up to four years, with the option to apply for a fifth year if the student is on track to graduate in that year.
To be eligible for the scholarship in fall 2023, in addition to being a Michigan resident, students must submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid and be admitted to Wayne State by April 1, 2023.
There are other Michigan universities who have similar programs. The University of Michigan's campuses offer free tuition to families making under $65,000. Northern Michigan University announced a similar program earlier this month.
The NMU Tuition Advantage will cover the remaining tuition balance after the Federal Pell Grant, the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, NMU scholarships/grants and any tuition-specific internal or external funds are considered. The award is available for eight semesters as long as the student continues to qualify for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, is eligible for the Federal Pell Grant and meets NMU’s Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.
Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Wayne State to offer free tuition to certain Michigan students
