Whitmer applauds record enrollment at Michigan universities

BY KYLE DAVIDSON, MICHIGAN ADVANCE

MICHIGAN—Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer cheered enrollment increases at nine Michigan universities as high school graduates eligible for the Michigan Achievement scholarship enter college.

“Michiganders deserve the opportunity to get a high-quality, affordable higher education so they can land a good-paying job right here in Michigan,” Whitmer said in a statement.

According to the governor’s office, a number of Michigan universities reported record breaking enrollment including Michigan State University and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, alongside record enrollment in Grand Valley State University’s incoming class.

Last week, MSU launched a new financial aid program, Spartan Tuition Advantage, which will automatically cover the full cost of tuition for all Pell Grant-eligible Michigan high school graduates who have a family income of $65,000 or less. This will start with the fall 2024 class. MSU officials said they expect the program will cover tuition for more than 6,000 students annually when it’s fully operational.

The University of Michigan-Dearborn expects to have its largest freshman class in its 64-year history, while enrollment at University of Michigan-Flint is reporting an increase for the first time since 2014.

Wayne State University expects about 4,450 new students, of which about a third will take advantage of the Wayne State Guarantee, which provides Michigan students with a family income of $70,000 or less with tuition-free degrees with zero out-of-pocket expenses by utilizing the Michigan Achievement Scholarship program.

The program is available to students who graduated in 2023 or after, providing additional financial aid to lower the cost of college and help achieve the state’s goal of increasing the number of Michigan residents with a skill certificate or college degree from 50.5% to 60% by 2030.

Awards through the program include:

Up to $2,000 if a graduate attends an eligible training provider in Michigan, per year, up to two years.Up to $2,750 if a graduate attends a Michigan community college, per year, up to three years.Up to $4,000 if a graduate attends a Michigan private college or university, per year, up to five years.Up to $5,500 if a graduate attends a Michigan public university, per year, up to five years.

“The Michigan Achievement Scholarship we established last year lowers the cost of community, private, and public college for the majority of students starting this fall. I am proud to see that it’s making a real difference, with record enrollment numbers. Let’s keep working together to lower the cost of college, grow our economy, and ensure anyone and everyone can ‘make it’ in Michigan,” Whitmer said.

This coverage was republished from Michigan Advance pursuant to a Creative Commons license.