RELEASE: Gov. Whitmer Joins Olivet College to Launch New Program to Lower Cost of College

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

December 8, 2022 

Contact: press@michigan.gov 

Gov. Whitmer Joins Olivet College to Launch New Program to Lower Cost of College 

Free tuition for students who qualify for Michigan Achievement Scholarship and are Pell eligible 

LANSING, Michigan – Today, Governor Whitmer and Olivet College President Steven M. Corey, Ph.D., announced that Olivet College is investing millions of dollars to create the Olivet College ADVANTAGE Scholarship. This initiative will begin in fall 2023 to ensure Michigan students have access to a private, small college education without paying tuition or fees. The program is made possible thanks to the Michigan Achievement Scholarship program, which Governor Whitmer signed into law this year saving students up to $8,250 on their associate degree at a community college, up to $20,000 at a private college, or up to $27,500 at a public university. 

“In October, I signed bipartisan legislation establishing the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, lowering the cost of college by thousands a year for most students,” said Governor Whitmer. “I am thrilled that Olivet’s Advantage Scholarship makes Olivet College tuition-free for pell-eligible students who receive the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and a federal Pell Grant. Fifty percent of Olivet students are Pell-eligible, and this new scholarship makes Olivet tuition-free for half of their new student body.” 

“Since 1844 – day one of our founding – Olivet College has made a college education accessible to anyone regardless of gender, race or financial means,” President Corey said. ”The Olivet College ADVANTAGE Scholarship is our pledge to the students of Michigan that we remain firmly rooted in our mission to make a private college education available to all. Olivet is grateful for the leadership of Governor Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature for establishing the Michigan Achievement Scholarship (MAS), which provides eligible students with additional state financial aid to attend college. The MAS and the Olivet College ADVANTAGE Scholarship put a college education within reach for deserving students who dream of a college education.” 

The program aims to guarantee students, especially first-generation students and those from low-to-moderate-income families throughout Michigan, a quality, relationship-based college experience. 

Who’s Eligible for Free Tuition and Fees to Olivet College 

To be eligible for free published tuition and fees, students must meet the following criteria: 

• Qualify for the newly established state Michigan Achievement Scholarship (MAS) 
• Qualify for the federal Pell grant 
• Complete the Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA) and list Olivet College as their first school choice by May 1 
• Be a first-time student beginning in the fall of 2023 
• Enroll as a full-time student 

Significant Scholarship Benefits to Other Students 

Other students will also benefit significantly from the Olivet College ADVANTAGE Scholarship: 

• Students who qualify for the MAS and come from families whose adjusted gross income is $100,000 or less will pay no more than $5,000 in published tuition and fees for the 2023-24 academic year after all Michigan and federal grants are applied. 
• Students who qualify for the MAS and come from families who earn more than $100,000 in adjusted gross income will receive at least $20,000 of institutional funds from Olivet College toward published tuition and fees. 

Students will be automatically considered for the Olivet College ADVANTAGE Scholarship when they submit the required FAFSA. Students will be responsible for the cost of room and board and may apply a federal student direct loan toward those costs.  

More than 80% of first-time students will be supported through the Olivet College ADVANTAGE Scholarship. The undergraduate student body at Olivet is comprised of 92% Michigan residents, including 26% from diverse populations and about 50% Pell-eligible students. Olivet College currently offers a generous awards structure, providing 100% of undergraduate students with some form of scholarship, grant or aid. Most students qualify for federal or state financial aid. With the ADVANTAGE Scholarship, an Olivet College education is within reach all families. 

“The Olivet College ADVANTAGE Scholarship will be life-changing for many Michigan students and their families,” Corey said. “A college education alters the trajectory of a person’s life. A four-year degree increases a person’s lifetime earnings and opens the door to countless career possibilities. College also provides students with more knowledge, broadened life experiences, and opportunities they might not otherwise have to build lasting friendships and mentorships with diverse populations.” 

The ADVANTAGE Scholarship compliments the current Olivet College ADVANTAGE commitment to each student, which includes the guarantee that students graduate in four years (or the fifth year is tuition-free), global learning opportunities, immersive service learning experiences, and internship and research opportunities.   

Michigan Achievement Scholarship   

To make college more affordable for families, grow Michigan’s talent pool, and get the state closer to achieving its Sixty by 30 goal, the governor signed bipartisan legislation creating the Michigan Achievement Scholarship. This legislation builds on Governor Whitmer’s promise in 2019 to pass Michigan Reconnect and Michigan Opportunity Scholarships to reach the state’s Sixty by 30 goal of 60% of adults with a skill certificate or college degree by 2030.   

The scholarships are renewable for up to three years at a community college and up to five years at a private college or public university, totaling up to:  

• $8,250 at community college   
• $20,000 at a private college or university   
• $27,500 at a public university  

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