RELEASE: Gov. Whitmer Announces Record College Enrollment Numbers After Implementation of the Michigan Achievement Scholarship 

Michigan Executive Office of the Governor sent this bulletin at 10/12/2023 10:38 AM EDT

Governor Whitmer Header

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

October 12, 2023   

Contact: press@michigan.gov   

   

Gov. Whitmer Announces Record College Enrollment Numbers After Implementation of the Michigan Achievement Scholarship  

   

LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that Michigan universities are experiencing record enrollment numbers for first-year students after the implementation of the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which lowers the cost of college by thousands of dollars a year for the vast majority of high school graduates. 

 

“Michiganders deserve the opportunity to get a high-quality, affordable higher education so they can land a good-paying job right here in Michigan,” said Governor Whitmer. “The Michigan Achievement Scholarship we established last year lowers the cost of community, private, and public college for the majority of students starting this fall. I am proud to see that it's making a real difference, with record enrolment numbers. Let’s keep working together to lower the cost of college, grow our economy, and ensure anyone and everyone can 'make it’ in Michigan.”  

 

Colleges across the state are experiencing record enrollment numbers, and historic freshman class sizes as they enroll the first high school graduates eligible for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship.  

 

Michigan Achievement Scholarship 

 

To help lower the cost of college and get the state closer to achieving its Sixty by 30 goal, Governor Whitmer created the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which is available to graduating high school seniors and this year’s incoming freshman class. The Michigan Achievement Scholarship can save families up to $27,500 while students earn a bachelor's degree.  

 

This scholarship builds on Governor Whitmer’s leadership to lower the cost of college through scholarships like Michigan Reconnect, Futures for Frontliners, and Mi Future Educator Fellowship. These investments get Michigan closer to reaching the state’s Sixty by 30 goal of 60% of adults with a skill certificate or college degree by 2030. 

 

Possible student awards include: 

 

  • Up to $2,000 if they attend an eligible training provider in Michigan, per year, up to two years 
  • Up to $2,750 if they attend a Michigan community college, per year, up to three years 
  • Up to $4,000 if they attend a Michigan private college or university, per year, up to five years 
  • Up to $5,500 if they attend a Michigan public university, per year, up to five years 

 

Additional information about the Michigan Achievement Scholarship is available at www.michigan.gov/achievement. 

 

Grand Valley State University 

 

Grand Valley State University reported a record-breaking incoming class of 4,974 students – a 25% increase from last year. Students of color make up 28% of the incoming class making it the most diverse class in GVSU history.  

 

Michigan Tech 

 

Michigan Technological University reported its highest enrollment since 1983 – with 7,320 students enrolled including 1,463 incoming first-year students. Overall enrollment is up 3.5% since last year. 

 

Michigan State University  

 

Northern Michigan University 

 

Northern Michigan University’s freshman class of 1,542 students is a 9.6% increase from Fall 2022. New first-time transfers have also increased by 14%. 

 

Oakland University 

 

Oakland University is experiencing an increase of 6.2% for its entering freshman class. It will be their largest freshman class since the fall of 2019. 

 

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 

 

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor reported its record enrollment of 52,065 students this fall, up 2% from 2022. 

 

University of Michigan-Dearborn 

 

University of Michigan-Dearborn expects to have its largest freshman class in their 64-year history. During their summer student orientations, they asked students what influenced their decision to attend, and 29%, nearly one third, stated the Michigan Achievement Scholarship. Over 90% of University of Michigan-Dearborn students remain in Michigan after graduation. 

 

University of Michigan-Flint 

 

University of Michigan-Flint reported an increase in total enrollment for the first time since 2014—a 10% increase in undergrad students and a 23% increase in graduate students. They expect to enroll 509 first time entering freshmen this fall, a 5% increase since last year. 

 

Wayne State University 

 

This year, Wayne State University is expected to welcome approximately 4,450 new undergraduate students, including more than 3,000 first-year students. These numbers represent a 16% increase in first-year students and a 9% increase in incoming transfer students compared to last year. 

 

About half of Wayne State University’s fall incoming first-year students will attend Wayne State tuition free, thanks to a combination of financial aid programs including the Wayne State Guarantee, the Heart of Detroit Tuition Pledge and the Detroit Promise. Around a third of the incoming students are taking advantage of the Wayne State Guarantee, which was made possible through the Michigan Achievement Scholarship. 

 

Note: Universities not included here have not published enrollment data as of the press release.  

 

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