Michigan families with annual incomes of $70,000 or less are now eligible for the “Wayne State Guarantee,” a new program that offers a tuition-free degree from Detroit’s Wayne State University with zero out-of-pocket expenses.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined WSU officials on Monday to announce the program, set to begin in fall 2023.
“Students in Michigan deserve the opportunity to receive quality, affordable higher education,” Whitmer said. “I’m proud to work with universities across the state to lower the cost of college for Michigan students and help them gain the skills to be prepared for the new and expanding businesses coming to the state. Last year, almost half of first-year students at Wayne State University had zero out-of-pocket expenses, with this initiative, the university is offering that opportunity to even more students.”
The Wayne State Guarantee is available to incoming first-year undergraduates who are Michigan residents admitted for fall 2023 as a first-time undergraduate in a degree-program; come from households with an income of $70,000 or less and assets of $50,000 or less as confirmed on the 2023-24 FAFSA; or are eligible for the Pell grant in 2023-24; and must be enrolled full time (12 or more credit hours per semester).
To participate, WSU must receive 2023-24 FAFSA documents by April 1, 2023, and students must be admitted to WSU by April 1, 2023.
The Wayne State Guarantee is funded through 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.
“Wayne State has a long history of being a university of access and opportunity, and now our commitment to making a college degree affordable comes in the form of a guarantee,” Wayne State University president Roy M. Wilson said in a statement. “We are excited to expand the opportunity for an affordable, world-class education to more Warriors. We are grateful for Governor Whitmer’s leadership in establishing the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and paving the way for Michiganders to pursue tuition-free higher education.”
In 2022, Gov. Whitmer signed the bipartisan Michigan Achievement Scholarship program into law, which saves students up to $8,250 on their associate degree at a community college, up to $20,000 at a private college, or up to $27,500 at a public university. Previously, Whitmer announced her “Sixty by 30” goal to increase the number of working-age adults with a skill certificate or college degree from 50.5% today to 60% by 2030.
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