RELEASE: Gov. Whitmer Announces Michigan Achievement Scholarship Lowered the Cost of College for More Than 25,400 Students This Semester

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 4, 2023

Gov. Whitmer Announces Michigan Achievement Scholarship Lowered the Cost of College for More Than 25,400 Students This Semester

Students, on average, were awarded over $2,000 in scholarships this semester distributed to lower the cost of community, private, and public college

LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that the Michigan Achievement Scholarship is lowering the cost of community, private, and public college by $2,093 on average for the fall semester for more than 25,400 students. With more than $53 million in scholarships distributed, tens of thousands more young people are pursuing their dreams, ensuring that they can ‘make it’ in Michigan.

“The Michigan Achievement Scholarship has lowered the cost of college for over 25,400 students, helping them chase their dreams,” said Governor Whitmer. “By expanding the path to community college, private college, or a public university, we are helping more Michiganders ‘make it’ in Michigan. Together, we will achieve our Sixty by 30 goal, to have 60% of our working age population earn a post-secondary degree or skills training by 2030. Since I took office, we have made significant progress thanks to programs like Michigan Reconnect and the Michigan Achievement Scholarship.”

The Michigan Achievement Scholarship provides scholarships for undergraduate students who graduate from high school in Michigan with a diploma, certificate of completion, or achieve a high school equivalency certificate in 2023 or after. Students must be attending an eligible Michigan postsecondary institution and demonstrate financial need when they complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

To help lower the cost of college and get the state closer to achieving its Sixty by 30 goal, Governor Whitmer created the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which is available to graduating high school seniors and this year’s incoming freshman class. The Michigan Achievement Scholarship can save families up to $27,500 while students earn a bachelor's degree.

This scholarship builds on Governor Whitmer’s leadership to lower the cost of college through scholarships like Michigan Reconnect, Futures for Frontliners, and Mi Future Educator Fellowship. These investments get Michigan closer to reaching the state’s Sixty by 30 goal of 60% of adults with a skill certificate or college degree by 2030.

Students may be awarded up to:

$2,750 if they attend a Michigan community college, per year, up to three years.
$4,000 if they attend a Michigan private college or university, per year, up to five years.
$5,500 if they attend a Michigan public university or are enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at a Michigan community college, per year, up to five years.

To get started with the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, go to www.fafsa.gov. An improved and redesigned 2024-25 FAFSA Form is anticipated to open before Dec. 31, 2023.

“The Michigan Achievement Scholarship is going to be a game-changer, making college more affordable for families across Michigan. Students can learn if they are eligible for this scholarship or other scholarships, grants and other forms of assistance by filing out a FAFSA,” said Michelle Richard, acting director of Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential (MiLEAP). “If you are thinking about attending college after graduating from high school, please take a few moments to complete the FAFSA when it becomes available. The time you take to complete this application could considerably reduce the cost of a college degree or certificate.”

In addition to state assistance, completing the FAFSA unlocks federal aid -- such as Pell Grants, student loans, work-study jobs and institutional grants.

Additional information about the Michigan Achievement Scholarship is available at Michigan.gov/Achievement.

The Michigan Achievement Scholarship is administered by MiLEAP’s Office of Higher Education. Its mission is to ensure every Michigander has the skill certificate or degree they need to prosper.

To learn more about MiLEAP, go to Michigan.gov/MiLEAP.

Questions about the Michigan Achievement Scholarship should be directed to MI Student Aid, Michigan’s go-to resource for finding the financial resources needed to pay for college. For more information, contact MI Student Aid at [email protected], 1-888-447-2687 or @mistudentaid on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential is not affiliated with National Merit Scholarship Corporation or its registered trademarks National Achievement®, Achievement Scholarship®, or Achievement Scholar®.

The Whitmer Administration's Work to Expand Access to Quality, Affordable Higher Education

Set the Sixty by 30 Goal to have at least 60% of Michiganders earn a degree or skill certificate by 2030 and created the Office of Sixty by 30 to lead the state’s efforts.
Created the Michigan Achievement Scholarship to lower the cost of college by thousands.
Established Michigan Reconnect to offer Michiganders 25 and up tuition-free associate degree or skills certificate in high-demand careers. Proposed lowering the age for participants to 21, expanding eligibility to 350,000 more.
Futures for Frontliners, offers Michiganders who served on the frontlines of the pandemic tuition-free paths to postsecondary education or skills training. Over 85,000 accepted.
Strengthened our community colleges and universities with operational increases—including establishing minimum per student funding at universities for the first time.
In the 2024 executive budget recommendation, proposed investments to help more students graduate.

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