New Wayne State Financial Aid Program to Cover Tuition for Half of First-Year Students

The Wayne State Guarantee will cover all tuition and fees for Pell Grant-eligible Michigan students with family household incomes of $70,000 a year or less.
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Published on March 16, 2023
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  • The Wayne State Guarantee is a financial aid program that will provide Pell Grant-eligible Michigan students free tuition.
  • Incoming first-year students must apply by April 1.
  • The program is a partnership with the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which provides up to $5,500 annually to students attending an in-state public university.

Wayne State University (WSU) is launching a free tuition program that promises to make higher education more accessible to Michigan students.

This month, the Detroit university launched its Wayne State Guarantee, which will provide assistance covering all tuition and fees to Pell Grant-eligible Michigan students with family household incomes of $70,000 a year or less.

Wayne State provides nearly $350 million in financial aid annually and has the lowest tuition of Michigan's three major research universities, according to the university. Last year, financial aid programs covered tuition and fees for 46% of first-year Wayne State students, and the university expects this new program to push 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," Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson said in a statement.

The Wayne State Guarantee is the product of a partnership with the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which provides up to $5,500 annually to students attending an in-state public university for up to five years.

Eligible students must be incoming first-year undergraduate Michigan residents admitted for fall 2023. They also must apply to WSU and receive their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by April 1.