DETROIT – Wayne State University will offer free tuition to Michigan students whose families make $70,000 a year or less.
Last year, 46% of first-year Wayne State students had zero out-of-pocket expenses for their tuition and fees through the university’s tuition pledge programs. The Wayne State Guarantee is expected to increase that number to 50%.
“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 Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson.
The program will begin in the fall of 2023 and will cover the full cost of tuition and standard fees. The Wayne State Guarantee was made possible through the Michigan Achievement Scholarship program, which Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law in 2022.
“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,” Whitmer said.
In 2021, the median household income in Michigan was $64,488. Wayne State provides nearly $350 million in financial aid annually and has the lowest tuition of Michigan’s three major research universities.
Who is eligible for the Wayne State Guarantee?
The Wayne State Guarantee covers the full cost of tuition and standard fees with a combination of federal, state and other Wayne State scholarships and grants.
Standard fees include things like matriculation, registration, and student service fees. The award is renewable for up to four years and has the option to apply for a fifth year if the student is on track to graduate in that year.
Incoming first-year undergraduates who are Michigan residents and admitted for fall 2023 as first-time undergraduates in a degree program are eligible.
More: Learn more about the Wayne State Guarantee
Eligibility 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.