Grand Rapids Reporter

The Michigan Achievement Scholarship website has been launched by the state to help students reduce the costs of higher learning.

The scholarship was spearheaded by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and is expected to mitigate the cost of going to college for the high school graduating class of 2023 and beyond, a recent press release from the governor’s office said. 

“Community colleges are proudly an affordable, accessible option for students looking for a quality education," Dr. Juan Olivarez, interim president of Grand Rapids Community College, said in the release. "But so many high school grads continue to face financial obstacles. The new Michigan Achievement Scholarship can make a college dream a reality, covering most of the cost of a full year at a community college. That’s great for students and also strengthens our greater community and state.”

Students are encouraged to apply using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to save up to $8,250 over the course of three years if they are seeking an associate degree at a community college, up to $27,500 over five years at a public university, or up to $20,000 over five years at a private college.

“For too long, high costs have been a barrier to higher education,” Whitmer said in the release. “I am so excited that we worked across the aisle to establish the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, lowering the cost of college by thousands of dollars a year for the vast majority of graduating seniors, starting with the class of 2023. All students need to do to get their Michigan Achievement Scholarship is fill out their FAFSA. I encourage every student going to community college, private college, or a public university in Michigan to speak with their parents or guardian, get their documents together, and fill out their FAFSA to save thousands of dollars.”

The scholarship is the byproduct of bipartisan legislation that aims to build on Michigan’s “Sixty by 30” objective of 60% of resident adults earning a skill certificate or college degree by 2030.  

“The Michigan Achievement Scholarship will make additional education possible for the majority of Michigan’s new college students after they earn their high school diploma or equivalency,” Sarah Szurpicki, director of the Office of Sixty by 30, said in the release. “This scholarship is game-changing for Michigan families. Creating more pathways to education beyond high school means creating more pathways for Michigan students, families, and businesses to succeed.”