The University of Michigan is providing a way for low-income in-state students to access free college tuition through a new program called the “Go Blue Guarantee,” according to the Detroit Free Press. Beginning in January of 2018, this program will be accessible to Michigan students whose family’s annual income is $65,000 or less.
According to Rick Fitzgerald, the University of Michigan’s Public Affairs Director, the program only applies to in-state students because, as a public, state-funded university, it provides greater financial aid for Michigan’s citizens only. He said the U of M is Michigan’s only state university that will provide all the financial expenses needed for a student to graduate. To be eligible for the program, however, the student must study at the Ann Arbor campus.
Fitzgerald said there is an unlimited amount of students who can participate in the program, and there is no scheduled end date. The university’s financial aid account, which is a part of the school’s general fund budget, will provide the funding for the program.
According to Fitzgerald, the financial aid for this school year was increased by 9.5 percent, allowing more students to go to college without worrying about the cost of tuition. State funding, tuition revenue, the indirect cost recovery on sponsored research, and donors support the financial budget.
The program will cost the school between 12 and 16 million dollars annually, reported the Detroit Free Press. In-state transfer students are eligible to apply for the free tuition. Although it is only available to undergraduate students, graduate students are still permitted to apply for other means of financial aid.
According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, the average cost of attending a four-year university in Michigan is $17,159.38.
Rachel Ussery, a student at American University, said “every state should have free public education.” Because of the expensive tuition fees, Ussery said she “could have debt until 40” and that her future finance and career goals are not looking bright.
A student activities manager at American University, Ebonie Smith, “disagrees,” saying not every college should be free, and free colleges would “affect the salary of taxes negatively.”
The “Go Blue Guarantee Statement” provides specific reasoning as to why the program is being enforced. Time will tell how many students and families will benefit and what the cost to the state and other affected parties will be.