A new version of the federal financial aid application known as the FAFSA will open scholarship and grant opportunities for more Michigan students and make it easier for them to apply. Some of the changes made by the Biden administration include expanding eligibility for financial aid for low- and middle-income students, cuts the number of questions on the FAFSA form and makes it easier to import financial information.

In Michigan, nearly 20,000 more students are expected to gain eligibility for a Pell Grant and over 38,000 more students are expected to receive the maximum grant award, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Education.

“National research indicates that one of the most common barriers to filling out the FAFSA is that many people assume they’re not eligible for financial aid, and that’s simply not the case,” said Michelle Richard, acting director of MiLEAP. “The Michigan Achievement Scholarship is a real game changer. Everyone should complete the FAFSA to learn if they are eligible for it or other scholarships, grants or assistance.”

With the new changes, it takes most applicants less than an hour to complete the FAFSA and learn if they’re eligible for scholarships such as the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which provides eligible students up to $27,500 for college.

The Michigan Achievement Scholarship provides scholarships for undergraduate students who graduate from high school in Michigan with a diploma, certificate of completion, or achieve a high school equivalency certificate in 2023 or after. Students must be attending an eligible Michigan postsecondary institution and demonstrate financial need when they complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 

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.

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.

Students may be awarded up to:

• $2,750 if they attend a Michigan community college, per year, up to three years.
• $4,000 if they attend a Michigan private college or university, per year, up to five years.
• $5,500 if they attend a Michigan public university or are enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at a Michigan community college, per year, up to five years.

“Applying for financial aid can be an extremely complicated and overwhelming process,” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, executive director of the Michigan College Access Network. “The new and better FAFSA, the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and the Michigan Reconnect program are all laudable initiatives that have combined to create an easier pathway to an affordable college education.”

Students and families can complete the FAFSA by visiting studentaid.gov.