The University of Michigan is expanding eligibility for its Go Blue Guarantee, enabling nearly 2,200 additional in-state, current undergraduate students to qualify for tuition-free education at the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses.
The university announced Dec. 5 that eligible incoming and returning full-time, in-state students whose families have annual incomes up to $125,000 and assets up to $125,000 will qualify beginning in the fall of 2025.
MORE INFORMATION
The move will mean that, by the fall, more than 10,000 students will have received the full-tuition guarantee since the initiative began.
“The Go Blue Guarantee breaks down economic barriers and ensures that a world-class education is available to Michigan students from all backgrounds, no matter their family’s economic means,” said President Santa J. Ono.
“Having witnessed the initiative’s transformative impact, we’re proud to take this step to support a greater number of our state’s most promising students and reaffirm our commitment to affordability and equal opportunity.”
The Go Blue Guarantee launched on the Ann Arbor campus in January 2018 and offered free tuition for in-state students from families with an annual income up to $65,000 and assets up to $50,000. The Board of Regents extended the commitment in 2021, with the same income and asset thresholds, to UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint students with a 3.5 GPA.
The income and asset thresholds moved to $75,000 for the Ann Arbor campus in 2023, and the income threshold increased to $75,000 for new students on the Dearborn campus in fall of 2024.
The university will invest an additional $8.8 million annually to expand the commitment, which since inception has extended free tuition to more than 8,000 students. With this expansion, an additional 2,200 students on all three campuses will be eligible for the guarantee. Dearborn and Flint will continue to require students to have a 3.5 GPA to qualify.
“As a state university, we have a responsibility to serve the people of Michigan and — given the many pressures of today’s economy — we want to ensure that working-class and middle-class Michiganders can send their children to this great university and benefit from all that it offers,” said Board Chair Katherine E. White.
“The Go Blue Guarantee has had a meaningful impact on the lives of Dearborn students,” said UM-Dearborn Chancellor Domenico Grasso. “Half of our student population is Pell (Grant) eligible and nearly half are first generation to attend college. Providing additional financial assistance allows more in-state students to obtain a Michigan degree, put their dreams into practice and change the trajectory of their lives.”
“The Go Blue Guarantee reflects our commitment to making higher education accessible,” said UM-Flint Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander. “By covering full undergraduate tuition for qualifying Flint students, we empower first-time students and transfer students to achieve their greatest potential and transform their futures. This program ensures that financial circumstances do not stand in the way of success.”
Undergraduate financial aid for students at the Ann Arbor campus has increased by an average of more than 9% annually over the past decade. As a result, 63% of in-state undergraduates and 43% of out-of-state undergraduate students at Ann Arbor receive grant or scholarship aid.
For most resident undergraduate students who receive need-based financial aid, the net cost of attending U-M Ann Arbor is less than it was 10 years ago, after adjusting for inflation. Nearly 3,000 fewer students are taking out loans compared with a decade ago.
At Dearborn and Flint, annual undergraduate financial aid over the past decade has increased about 9% and 6%, respectively.
“During the admissions process, the three University of Michigan campuses strive to encourage students from all backgrounds to consider the life-changing effect a U-M education will have on their future. Today’s announcement makes the U-M experience affordable for many more students,” said Adele C. Brumfield, vice provost for enrollment management.
U-M’s Ann Arbor campus is the only public university in Michigan that meets full demonstrated need for in-state students, providing support for students beyond the Go Blue Guarantee with family incomes up to $180,000.
UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint will continue to provide significant financial aid for students who do not qualify for the Go Blue Guarantee based on individual need and merit.
