RELEASE: PHOTOS: Gov. Whitmer Joins Wayne State University to Announce New Initiative, Lowering the Cost of College

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 13, 2023

Gov. Whitmer Joins Wayne State University to Announce New Initiative, Lowering the Cost of College

Wayne State Guarantee offers students with families earning less than $70,000 tuition-free education with zero out-of-pocket expenses

LANSING, Mich – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined Wayne State University officials to announce the Wayne State Guarantee, a new initiative offering incoming Michigan students with family incomes of $70,000 or less a tuition-free degree with zero out-of-pocket expenses. The program will begin in the fall of 2023 and cover the full cost of tuition and standard fees. This is made possible thanks to the bipartisan Michigan Achievement Scholarship program, which Governor Whitmer signed into law in 2022, saving 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.

“Students in Michigan deserve the opportunity to receive quality, affordable higher education,” said Governor Whitmer. “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.”

“When we invest in students, we invest in Michigan’s future,” said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “The Wayne State Guarantee will be a game changer for Michigan students, helping them get a high-quality education with zero out-of-pocket expenses. The best path to a higher quality of life and higher income is getting a degree. The Guarantee will help us grow economic opportunity for Michiganders and achieve our Sixty by 30 goal to get 60% of Michiganders a postsecondary degree or certificate by 2030. Governor Whitmer and I will keep working hard to help every student achieve their dreams and get a great education.”

“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,” said Roy M. Wilson, Wayne State University President. “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.”

“Too many students and their families don’t think college is an option because they think it’s too expensive,” said Mark Kornbluh, Wayne State University Provost. “However, I think they would be surprised. Wayne State has the lowest tuition of Michigan’s three major research universities, robust financial aid programs, and we work very hard to make attending one of the top research universities in the country extremely affordable.”

WSU

Who’s Eligible for the Wayne State Guarantee

Incoming first-year undergraduates who are Michigan residents admitted for fall 2023 as a first-time undergraduate in a degree-program.

Household income of $70,000 or less and assets of $50,000 or less as confirmed on the 2023-24 FAFSA.
Michigan residents eligible for the Pell grant in 2023-24 are also eligible.
Must be enrolled full time (12 or more credit hours per semester) each semester. Funding is for fall and winter semesters.
WSU must receive your 2023-24 FAFSA by April 1, 2023, and be eligible to receive federal student aid.
Must be admitted to WSU by April 1, 2023.

The Wayne State Guarantee covers the full cost of tuition and standard fees (matriculation, registration, and student service 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.

Wayne State provides more than $350 million in financial aid annually.

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. 

The scholarships are renewable for up to three years at a community college and up to five 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

###