Financial Aid

All students filing the FAFSA are automatically reviewed for Pell Grant eligibility. Pell Grants provide assistance to which other forms of aid may be added.

Pell Grant amounts vary according to the year and number of credits enrolled in each semester.

To be eligible for a Pell Grant, students must:

1. Be determined to have financial need.
2. Be undergraduates accepted for admission and enrolled in eligible programs and meet satisfactory academic progress standards.
3. Be U.S. citizens or permanent residents or qualified Jay Treaty students.
4. Not be in default on a Federal Direct Stafford or Perkins Loan, and not owe a refund for a Pell Grant or other federal aid.
5. Not be disqualified due to prior drug offense convictions.

There is a limit to the total amount of Federal Pell Grant that a student may receive in their lifetime, which is the equivalent to 6 school years.

Although awards are made through the University, the U.S. Department of Education determines eligibility. The University Financial Aid Office uses a standard procedure established by the Department of Education to calculate the award.

To apply, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Forms are available at high schools, colleges and financial aid offices or online at https://fafsa.gov/

The Higher Education Act of 1965 created this program of financial assistance to help college students with the greatest financial need. Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants may be used to meet all or part of student financial need (up to $1000 in any one year).

Financial need is the primary consideration in the selection of grant recipients. Priority is given to the neediest Pell Grant recipients. Recipients are selected from those applying for all forms of financial aid by using the FAFSA.

FSEOG is a priority fund that is distributed first to students who file their FAFSA by March 1st.
Recipients of this award must reapply each year and maintain the regular satisfactory academic progress standards to be considered for a renewal award.

The Perkins Grant Program provides OCED funding for students with demonstrated financial need, as determined by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and who are enrolled in certain Associate’s degree programs. Students who qualify for the Federal Pell Grant and have earned less than 72 credits will automatically be considered if enrolled in one of the following Associate’s degrees:

• Criminal Justice – Corrections
• Criminal Justice – Law Enforcement
• Early Childhood Education
• Fire Science
• Health Care Provider
• Manufacturing Engineering Technology
• Natural Resource Technology
• Small Business Administration
• Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment
• Technical Accounting

This grant provides supplemental funding for qualified students and may be pro-rated for less than full-time attendance.

Members or those eligible for membership in a federally recognized tribe showing need, may apply for Bureau of Indian Affairs Scholarship Grants by contacting their tribal education office for an application. It is possible to receive up to full university expenses per year in scholarship grants if financial need is demonstrated.

All applicants must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Native students enrolled in certificate or associate degree programs are eligible for assistance to pay for tuition, books and living expenses. You must be a member or eligible for membership in a federally recognized tribe.

Awards are based on financial need. Applicants must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Applications may be obtained by contacting the Tribal Education Office.

The Tuition Incentive (TIP) 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), and have applied to use the TIP program before high school or GED completion.

Eligible students must be enrolled for a minimum of 6 credits each semester to receive the fund.

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.

For more information on the TIP program, go to www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid/ or contact the Michigan Office of Scholarships and Grants at  or 1-888-447-2687 BEFORE YOU GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL if you think you may be eligible.

Awards are subject to legislative changes.