In this scholarship post, we’re tackling the Wolverine state, otherwise known as Michigan! Michigan scholarships are available for both residents and for students simply attending a Michigan college or university.
We will start off with an awesome list of Michigan scholarships offered by private organizations. Then, we'll touch on some basic background information on some of Michigan’s community colleges and four-year universities, before leaving you with a shortlist of recommended reading resources to bookmark as you begin or continue along your financial aid journey.
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31
Details: While our quarterly scholarship is not exclusive to Michigan students, it’s a great no-essay opportunity to apply for in addition to the scholarships on this list! Open to high school, college, and graduate students of all years, and DACA students are also encouraged to apply.
Amount: $3,000
Deadline: January 29
Eligibility: Open to medical and doctoral students in Michigan aiming to improve healthcare within the state.
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: Open to female Michigan residents who are enrolled or will be enrolling full-time at a Michigan college or university. Must have at least a 3.0 GPA and be planning to major in a field related to computer engineering, information systems, computer science, or related.
Amount: Varies
Deadline: February 1
Eligibility: Open to undergraduates in the US and Canada pursuing degrees in manufacturing engineering, technology, industrial engineering, or related fields of study. Must have at least a 2.5 GPA. Preference will be given to students enrolled at the University of Michigan, University of Michigan-Dearborn, and the University of Michigan-Flint.
Amount: Varies
Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Open to high school seniors in the Midland and Gladwin counties.
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Open to students attending Michigan higher education institutions enrolled in Hospitality and Tourism-related programs. Must be a Michigan resident and have at least a 2.5 GPA.
Amount: up to $11,500
Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Open to high school senior students graduating from select high schools in Newaygo, Muskegon, or Oceana Counties in West Michigan.
Amount: $2,500
Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Open to undergraduate students currently attending a Michigan college or university pursuing environmental-related degrees. Minimum 2.5 GPA.
Amount: Varies
Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Open to high school seniors in Kent County planning to pursue undergraduate degrees in construction-related fields in Michigan. Must have financial need.
PS - This scholarship is run through the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. Filling out their general scholarship application will allow you to be considered for dozens of scholarships in their database you may be eligible for!
Amount: up to $5,000
Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Open to prospective and current law, paralegal, and legal secretarial minority students in Michigan. Candidates for the law school scholarship must be accepted to or attending a Michigan law school or be a Michigan resident attending an accredited law school in the United States.
Amount: Varies
Deadline: March 18
Eligibility: Open to female high school seniors who are planning to pursue STEM degrees at higher education institutions in Michigan in the upcoming fall. Must be a Michigan and US resident with at least a 3.0 GPA.
Amount: $1,500
Deadline: March 18
Eligibility: Open to undergraduate (second semester sophomores and above) and graduate students majoring in broadcasting, video production, and media at Michigan community colleges and universities in the Michigan area.
Amount: Varies, but can be for up to full-tuition
Deadline: April 8
Eligibility: Open to graduating high school seniors enrolling in a career college or school that is a participating member of OMACCS. Applicants must be Ohio or Michigan high school students with at least a C average.
Amount: $1,500
Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Open to sophomore undergraduate students pursuing a course of study related to human medicine at any state accredited Michigan college or university.
Amount: $6,500
Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Open to Michigan residents attending Michigan colleges.
Amount: $500
Deadline: July 25
Eligibility: Open to high school seniors, college freshmen, and college sophomores with disabilities. Must live in Washtenaw, Livingston, or Monroe County, Michigan.
Amount: $1,500
Deadline: September 30
Eligibility: Open to students who intend to pursue careers in the Midwest fruit and vegetable industries.
Amount: Varies
Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to Detroit-area high school seniors, this scholarship is provided as a “tuition-free path to trade, two-year, and four-year credentials at 26 Michigan colleges”.
Amount: Varies, up to full-tuition
Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to Kalamazoo Public School residents/high school seniors. Provides up to 100% tuition for post-secondary education.
The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, which has been ranked by Times Higher Education as the #1 public university in the US, is also Michigan’s oldest university.
For the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, with high rankings, also comes high costs! In-state undergraduate students can expect to pay an annual tuition of around $32,000, and out-of-state undergraduates can expect to pay up to $75,000.
Luckily, once you’ve been accepted to the University of Michigan, you can create a Scholarship Profile through the university’s Wolverine Access, which will allow you to be considered for all university scholarships that you’re eligible for.
Michigan State University is the state’s largest university, and is commonly recognized for its education and agriculture-related programs.
In-state freshmen can expect to pay approximately $25,000 per year in tuition and fees, whereas out-of-state freshmen can expect to pay double that sticker cost. MSU offers scholarships for freshmen in all different groups: there are high-achieving scholarships and criteria-specific scholarships, as well as opportunities for Michigan residents, out-of-state students, and more. Plus, Pennsylvania and Ohio students who apply to MSU are automatically considered for the university’s Ohio and Pennsylvania Spartan Grants, which are worth up to $10,000.
Michigan Tech is often ranked as one of the nation’s best universities in terms of return on investment. It is commonly known for the strength of its STEM-related major programs, such as mechanical engineering and computer science.
In terms of cost, Michigan Tech comes in at around $32,000 per year for in-state residents, and just over $53,000 per year for out-of-state residents. All admitted students are automatically considered for the universities’ merit-based scholarships, which are available for residents, non-residents, transfer students, Canadian students, and international students.
There are 31 community colleges across the state of Michigan that enroll approximately 180,000 students each year. According to Best Colleges, Macomb Community College, the largest of the 31, offers over 200 degree and certificate courses, with costs that are approximately 25% of the tuition price at a Michigan four-year public university.
Other commonly recognized Michigan community colleges include Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Muskegon Community College, and Delta Community College.
In addition to the various Michigan scholarships that are out there for prospective and current college students in the Wolverine state, there are also some great online resources out there for students looking to learn more about Michigan colleges and universities, paying for college, and financial aid as a whole.
MI Student Aid - The go-to place for students and families to access their Michigan Student Scholarships and Grants (MISSG) portal, learn about financial aid programs, eligibility criteria and deadlines, and search for local scholarships based on county.
1Michigan - A great resource guide for undocumented students in Michigan.
Michigan Promise Zones - If you noticed in the private scholarships section above, we featured two Promise scholarships for students in Detroit and Kalamazoo. Luckily, there are Promise scholarships available for students in many other zones of Michigan! Check out this resource to learn more about local Promise scholarship initiatives.