A college education has become a significant expense for most families and requires careful planning. Whatever your financial situation is, we encourage you to use this information to help you understand college funding so you can navigate the financial aid process with greater ease.

State Financial Aid

States provide many financial aid opportunities to help ease the cost of a college education. Please select the state you reside in to learn about state sponsored internships, scholarships and financial aid programs for undergraduate students and assistantships, fellowships, and residency programs for graduate and professional students.

STATE OF MICHIGAN FINANCIAL AID PROGRAMS

For more detailed information on state financial aid programs contact:

Office of Scholarships and Grants

P.O. Box 30462

Lansing, MI 48909-7962

1-888-4-GRANTS

www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid/

The following are financial aid programs available to students who are residents of the state of Michigan.

Please go to the website for ALL the information on each of the programs.

Adult Part-Time Grant

The Adult Part-Time Grant is intended for financially needy, independent undergraduates who have been out of high school for at least two years. Eligible students must enroll at a participating public or independent degree-granting Michigan college or university on a part-time basis. The maximum grant is $600 per year for not more than two years of study.

Eligibility Criteria:

-Enrolled part-time (3-11 hours) in eligible undergraduate program

-Financial need

-Independent status based on federal guidelines

-Michigan residence

-Not incarcerated

-Not be in default on an educational loan

-Satisfactory Academic Progress

-U.S. citizenship or permanent residence

Award Amount:

Up to $600 per academic year.

Michigan Competitive Scholarship

The Michigan Competitive Scholarship is based on both financial need and merit and is available for use at Michigan public and private postsecondary colleges. Students must take the ACT Assessment (ACT)® before entering college and receive a qualifying test score. (Students may take the ACT after leaving high school if they have not had any college experience). Awards are restricted to tuition and fees.

Eligibility Criteria:

In addition to specific program requirements, applicants must meet the following general eligibility conditions:

-Demonstrate financial need

-Receive a qualifying ACT score

-Have a high school diploma or GED certificate

-Be a Michigan resident since July 1 of the previous calendar year

-Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident

-Attend an approved public or independent Michigan college or university

-Enroll at least half-time

-Maintain minimum 2.00 grade point average

-Meet college’s satisfactory academic progress policy

-Not have a bachelor’s degree

-Not be pursuing a degree in theology, divinity or religious education

-Not be in default on an educational loan

-Not be incarcerated

Awards are restricted to tuition and mandatory fees. Award maximums are established annually.

Michigan Educational Opportunity Grant

The Michigan Educational Opportunity Grant is available for needy undergraduate students who enroll on at least a half-time basis at a Michigan public community college or university. The grant provides up to $1,000 per academic year.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Enrolled at least half-time in eligible undergraduate program
  • Financial need
  • Michigan residence
  • Not incarcerated
  • Not in default on an educational loan
  • Satisfactory Academic Progress
  • U.S. citizen or permanent residence

Award Amount

Up to $1,000 per academic year.

Michigan Engineering Incentive

Considering a career in engineering or another high-tech field? Then you need to know about the Michigan Engineering Incentive.

The Michigan Engineering Incentive is a unique program designed to encourage more students to consider study and careers in the engineering and technology fields by offering a zero percent 0% interest rate and either payment or reimbursement of the federal loan origination fee.

The Michigan Engineering Incentive is for students receiving Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) Federal Stafford Loans and is exclusively for students who:

  • Are pursuing engineering or technology majors, and
  • Intend to live and work in Michigan.

MICHIGAN ENGINEERING INCENTIVE BENEFITS

  • Zero Percent (0%) Interest Rate – The interest rate on your Federal Stafford Loan will be reduced to 0% at the start of repayment and will continue at 0% as long as you meet the continuing eligibility requirements.
  • Reimbursement of the Federal Loan Origination Fee – The federal loan origination fee will either be paid on your behalf by your lender or your loan will be credited with an amount equal to the origination fee after it has been fully disbursed.

Michigan Nursing Scholarship

The Michigan Nursing Scholarship is a non-need based award available to Michigan residents enrolled at least half time at an eligible institution in a program leading to a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) certification, Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), or Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN). Students will be selected for scholarship awards by their college or university financial aid office. Scholarship awards are $4,000 per academic year for full-time students, but cannot exceed the cost of attendance minus other grants and scholarships. Students receiving a full-time scholarship award have to agree to work as a direct patient care nurse in an eligible Michigan facility, or as a teacher of nursing at an eligible Michigan postsecondary institution, one year for each year of assistance. Failure to fulfill the work commitment will result in the scholarship becoming a loan that must be repaid.

Program Limits

Awards are $4,000 for full-time students, $3,000 for three-quarter time students, or $2,000 for half-time students. Students can receive scholarship assistance for up to four academic years.

This award is based on financial need for use at independent, non-profit degree-granting colleges and universities in Michigan. Awards are restricted to tuition and fees. Application for the Michigan Tuition Grant is made by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Eligibility:

In addition to specific program requirements, applicants must meet the following general eligibility conditions:

-Demonstrate financial need

-Be a Michigan resident since July 1 of the previous calendar year

-Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or an approved refugee

-Attend an approved independent Michigan college or university

-Enroll at least half time

-Maintain college’s satisfactory academic progress standard

-Not be pursuing a degree in theology, divinity or religious education

-Not be in default on an educational loan

-Not be incarcerated

Award Amounts

Up to $2,100 per academic year.

Michigan Work-Study Graduate Program

The Michigan Work-Study Graduate Program provides work opportunities to help needy graduate or professional students pay educational expenses. Qualifying students must enroll at a participating public or independent degree-granting Michigan college or university on at least a half-time basis.

Michigan Work-Study jobs are usually on-campus, but many colleges have agreements with off-campus employers. Award amount varies, based in part upon need, wage and hours worked. The rate of pay will be at least the current Federal minimum wage.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Enrolled at least half-time in eligible graduate program
  • Financial need
  • Michigan residence
  • Not incarcerated
  • Not in default on an educational loan
  • Satisfactory Academic Progress
  • U.S. citizenship or permanent residence

Application

The college awards the funds. Students apply for this need-based aid by filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students should also check with the college financial aid office to see if any additional forms are required in addition to the financial statement.

When funds are insufficient to meet the needs of all eligible applicants, the college will target available funds to students with the greatest need.

Award Amount

The award amount varies, based in part upon need, wage and hours worked.

Michigan Work-Study Undergraduate Program

The Michigan Work-Study Undergraduate Program provides work opportunities to help needy undergraduate students pay educational expenses. Qualifying students must enroll at a participating public or independent degree-granting Michigan college or university on at least a half-time basis.

Michigan Work-Study jobs are usually on-campus, but many colleges have agreements with off-campus employers. Award amount varies, based in part upon need, wage and hours worked. The rate of pay will be at least the current Federal minimum wage.

Award Amount

Award amount varies based upon need, hours worked, and wage paid.

Awards are determined by the college financial aid office and are typically packaged with other types of assistance. The campus award letter, sent by the college, is the means by which students are notified regarding Michigan Work-Study eligibility.

The Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) is an incentive program that encourages eligible students to complete high school by providing tuition assistance for the first two years of college and beyond. To meet the financial eligibility requirement, a student must have (or have had) Medicaid coverage for 24 months within a 36-consecutive-month period as identified by the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS). TIP provides assistance in two phases. Phase I covers tuition and mandatory fee charges for eligible students enrolled in a credit-based associate degree or certificate program at a participating Michigan community college, public university, degree-granting independent college, federal tribally-controlled college, or Focus: HOPE. Phase II provides a maximum of $2,000 total tuition assistance for credits earned in a four-year program at an in-state, degree-granting college or university. Award parameters are subject to legislative changes.

Children of Veterans Tuition Grant

The Children of Veterans Tuition Grant is designed to provide undergraduate tuition assistance to certain children older than 16 and less than 26 years of age who have been Michigan residents for the 12 months prior to application. To be eligible a student must be the natural or adopted child of a Michigan veteran.

The veteran must have been a legal resident of Michigan immediately before entering military service and did not later reside outside of Michigan for more than two years; or the veteran must have established legal residency in Michigan after entering military service.

Application

Application forms can be downloaded from the student Financial Services Bureau Website at www.michigan.gov/osg.

Michigan Competitive Scholarship Fact Sheet

Description

The Michigan Competitive Scholarship program is available to undergraduate students pursuing their first degrees

at an approved Michigan postsecondary institution. Students must demonstrate both financial need and merit and

eligible applicants must achieve a qualifying ACT score prior to entering college.

Application

Applicants must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students whose FAFSA is received

by March 1 will receive priority consideration. Students are encouraged to file their FAFSA on the Web at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Paper forms are available from the Federal Student Aid Information Center by calling 1-800-4-FEDAID, or a printable version can be accessed on the Web site www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov. Students must file a renewal FAFSA every year to determine possible continued program eligibility. Students are responsible for notifying the Office of Scholarships and Grants (OSG) of a

change in their college choice.

GEAR UP Scholarships

Federal grants are made to qualifying entities to create early college awareness programs for students at the middle school level and above.

The mission of GEAR UP is to significantly increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in post-secondary education.

The State of Michigan has been awarded two federal grants to date. Each grant includes a scholarship component that allows selected GEAR UP participants to receive a renewable four-year scholarship.

GEAR UP Michigan: Reaching the Urban Centers targeted three urban public school systems: Detroit, Flint and Muskegon. Scholarship recipients were nominated by their school districts.

GEAR UP Michigan: College Day targets programs linked to the 15 public universities in Michigan. Those institutions will nominate eligible scholarship recipients based on program involvement.

Students cannot apply for this program. Receipt of this scholarship can impact a student’s total financial aid package.

Police Officer’s and Fire Fighter’s Survivors Tuition Program

P.A. 195 of 1996 established this program to provide a waiver at state public institutions of higher education for children and surviving spouses of Michigan police officers and fire fighters killed in the line of duty.

The Office of Scholarships and Grants will begin administering this program on behalf of eligible students beginning with the 2010-11 academic year. (The program was formerly administered by the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards – MCOLES).

Eligible children must be the natural or adopted child of the deceased and must be under the age of 21 at the time of the police officer’s or fire fighter’s death.

Student must be enrolled at least ½ time in a program of study leading to a degree or certificate.

Student must be an undergraduate.

Student must be a Michigan resident.

Student must demonstrate financial need.

For more detailed information and application forms, contact the Office of Scholarships and Grants at: osg@Michigan.gov or call toll-free 1-888-4-GRANTS (1-888-447-2687).

Teacher Loan Cancellation Listing

What is Teacher Loan Forgiveness?
Teachers serving in low-income or subject matter shortage areas, may be able to cancel or defer student loans.

For What Programs?

  • Federal Perkins Loan Program
  • Federal Family Educational Loan Program (FFELP) Stafford Loans
  • Federal Direct Stafford Loans
  • Federal Teach Grant Program