Every figure is for a student starting in fall 2027. We work each one out again whenever we update the site.

Paying for college in Michigan

What the state and its colleges give families, who gets it, and how to apply. See every Michigan college priced for your income

From the state

Achievement Scholarship Tuition Incentive Program

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In our Michigan scenarios, with good parent credit, a SmartTuition plan saves a median of about $6,600 over four years. How we worked this out ↓

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From the state

Michigan's programs. Most come through the FAFSA or the state's own aid application; a few have their own.

Michigan Achievement Scholarship

A need-based scholarship for Michigan residents who finished high school in 2023 or later, in Michigan or another state. A student with a Student Aid Index of 30,000 or less can get up to $5,500 a year at a Michigan university or private college, for up to five years.

Sources: State of Michigan, MI Student Aid and Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP)

“Up to $5,500 if they attend a Michigan public university, private college or university or are enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at a Michigan community college, per year, up to five years”

“Demonstrate financial need when they complete the FAFSA, by having a Student Aid Index (SAI) of 30,000 or less.”

“Be a Michigan resident since July 1 of the previous calendar year. If you are a dependent student, your parent must also be a Michigan resident since July 1 of the previous calendar year.”

“Graduate from high school with a diploma or a certificate of completion or achieved a high school equivalency certificate in 2023 or after.”

— State of Michigan, MI Student Aid, checked 2026-10

“For Academic Year 2026-27, Michigan Achievement Scholarship no longer requires that a student graduate from a Michigan high school.”

— Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP), checked 2026-10

Tuition Incentive Program

Tuition help for Michigan students who had Medicaid coverage for 24 months between the ages of nine and high school graduation. It helps with a certificate or associate degree, and then with a bachelor’s degree.

Source: State of Michigan, MI Student Aid

“The Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) encourages eligible Medicaid recipients to complete high school by providing tuition assistance during an eligible student’s qualifying certificate or associate degree program and also during the student’s bachelor’s degree program.”

“Student must have (or have had) Medicaid coverage for 24 months within a 36-month period between the ages of nine and high school graduation.”

— State of Michigan, MI Student Aid, checked 2026-10

Michigan also has tuition help for veterans' children, students who were in foster care, Native American students and future teachers. See MI Student Aid's list.

From the colleges

What each college gives for grades, what it promises on aid, and its full price.

College	Merit scholarships	Promise on aid	Full price a year
Adrian College private	Adrian considers every applicant for one academic scholarship of up to $13,000, $15,000, $18,000 or $20,000 a year. The page ties the tiers to average high school GPAs of 2.7, 3.4, 3.7 and 3.9.	—	$63,216
Alma College private	$28,000 to $36,000 a year*	—	$72,886
Andrews University private	Andrews gives freshmen who meet its admission requirements a scholarship of $8,000, $10,000, $12,000 or $14,000 a year, rated from test scores and GPA. It lasts up to 10 semesters.	—	$52,836
Aquinas College private	Aquinas gives every incoming first-year undergraduate an academic scholarship of $15,000 to $25,000 a year, set by academic performance and residency. Students are considered automatically.	—	$59,083
Baker College private	Baker’s Presidential Scholars Award is $9,000 a year for up to five years, for students who start within five years of high school with a 3.5 GPA. Its BeFree Tuition Guarantee can pay all of standard undergraduate tuition.	—	$23,276
Calvin University private	Calvin’s academic scholarships for students starting in 2027–2028 run from $10,000 to $20,000 a year. The Trustee’s Scholarship is $20,000 with a 3.95 GPA; a student who applies test optional is placed by GPA alone.	—	$58,490
Central Michigan University public	In state: Central’s Maroon & Gold Merit Scholarship is worth at least $3,500 a year and up to $8,250, by GPA and an optional test score. A Michigan student whose GPA qualifies gets at least the lowest amount.	CMU Tuition Advantage: tuition for Pell-eligible Michigan residents with a family income and assets of $65,000 or less	$31,628
College for Creative Studies private	None published	—	$80,083
Cornerstone University private	Cornerstone’s academic scholarships run from $1,000 to $10,000 a year in 2027–2028, by weighted high school GPA. A first-year student needs no separate scholarship application.	—	$38,022
Davenport University private	Davenport’s scholarships for new students by GPA run from $5,000 to $12,000 a year, for full-time students. Its Ford Scholarship covers tuition, books, fees, a study abroad experience and housing.	—	$48,638
Eastern Michigan University public	Eastern’s Emerald Scholarship goes automatically to every admitted student. By GPA alone it is worth $5,000 to $9,000, and a test score can raise it to as much as $12,000.	—	$34,216
Ferris State University public	$3,000 to $10,000 a year, from a 3.0 GPA*	—	$30,519
Grand Valley State University public	In state: $1,000 to $6,000 a year, from a 3.3 GPA*	Grand Valley Pledge: tuition and fees for Michigan freshmen with a family income of $70,000 or less and assets of $70,000 or less, for the fall 2027 class	$29,306
Hope College private	Hope’s academic scholarships for students entering in fall 2026 run from $8,000 to $22,000 a year, set by GPA or GPA with test scores. Every admitted student also gets the $12,000 More Hope award.	—	$65,320
Kalamazoo College private	Kalamazoo gives every admitted student a merit scholarship of $44,000 to $53,000 a year, set by a review of the whole application. Test scores play no part.	—	$83,924
Kettering University private	None published	—	$67,122
Lake Superior State University public	Lake Superior State’s Laker Gateway Award is $1,500 to $2,500 in all over four years, for a 3.0 GPA or more. The Laker Catalyst Award adds a test score and pays $3,000 to $5,000 in all.	—	$30,256
Lawrence Technological University private	Lawrence Tech’s merit scholarships run from $4,000 to $16,000 a year: Presidential $16,000, Elite $14,000, Preeminent $12,000, Honors $10,000, Trustee $6,000 and Trustee Grant $4,000. A committee reviews each accepted student as a whole.	—	$66,690
Madonna University private	$6,000 to $14,000 a year, from a 2.8 GPA*	—	$47,435
Michigan State University public	Michigan State gives its Alumni Distinguished Scholarship to the top 15 candidates in a competition. It pays tuition, fees, food and housing, and $1,000 a year. Commended finalists get $2,500 a year.	Spartan Tuition Advantage: tuition for Pell-eligible in-state first-year students with a household income of $75,000 or less, from fall 2027	$34,110
Michigan Tech public	In state: $1,000 to $5,000 a year, from a 3.5 GPA*	—	$38,418
Northern Michigan University public	In state: $2,500 to $5,000 a year, from a 3.0 GPA* Out of state: $6,100 to $9,600 a year, from a 3.0 GPA*	—	$31,232
Northwood University private	Northwood’s merit scholarships run from $7,500 to $18,000 a year, by high school GPA.	—	$54,293
Oakland University public	Oakland’s academic merit awards run from $2,000 to $12,000 a year, set by high school GPA and test score. A student can receive only one.	Golden Guarantee: free tuition for first-time Michigan residents who receive the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, with a family income of $70,000 or less and assets under $50,000	$30,824
Saginaw Valley State University public	$3,000 to $6,500 a year, from a 3.0 GPA*	—	$29,355
Spring Arbor University private	$10,000 to $17,500 a year*	—	$51,894
University of Detroit Mercy private	Detroit Mercy’s merit scholarships and grants are worth up to $15,000, set from the whole application. They can pay tuition only and renew for four years.	—	$49,136
University of Michigan public	None published	Go Blue Guarantee: free tuition for Michigan residents with a family income of $125,000 or less and assets below $125,000	$38,457
University of Michigan Dearborn public	None published	Go Blue Guarantee at Dearborn: free tuition for Michigan residents with a family income of $125,000 or less, assets below $125,000 and an incoming 3.5 GPA	$33,428
Wayne State University public	Wayne State’s Warrior Award is $6,500 a year for four years for students who start in fall 2027. It goes to the strongest applicants by GPA and test score, or by GPA alone if no score is sent.	Wayne State Guarantee: tuition and standard fees for Michigan residents with a family income of $80,000 or less and assets of $50,000 or less, for the fall 2027 class	$28,661
Western Michigan University public	Western’s Medallion Scholarship is worth about $94,036 over four years. It pays up to $16,000 a year for tuition and fees, housing up to $6,759 a year and a one-time award of up to $3,000. Up to 20 students a year are chosen.	Bronco Promise: tuition for first-year Michigan residents with a family income of $50,000 or less and net assets under $75,000	$33,277

* The finder and our college comparison show this scholarship when you enter your student's GPA.

Each college's page has a promise's conditions, in the college's own words. “Worth asking about” marks a program the college describes in words that stop short of a promise.

Full price: tuition and fees, housing and food, and books; in state at a public university. What your family would pay after grants depends on your income: the finder shows it.

4 more Michigan colleges have no page here. For 1 of them, the federal data has no cost or no price by income. The rest mainly teach graduate students or run online programs. Show them

Albion College
Siena Heights University
University of Michigan-Flint
Hillsdale College

Paying the rest

Your SmartTuition plan uses your savings, your 529, your loans and your award letter.

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How we worked these out

What a SmartTuition plan saves

The $6,600 in the “Pay less for college” box near the top of this page is the median saving over our Michigan scenarios. Each scenario is a household in Michigan at one of its colleges. Its income is one of 8 from $45,000 to $200,000, and its savings are none, $40,000 or $100,000 in a 529. We price each college at the aid it reports for the income.

Every scenario has parents with good credit and $500 a month toward college. A saving is the difference, over four years, between a SmartTuition plan and the standard approach: savings first, then loans for the rest. It counts loan interest and the federal tax credit. Credit matters: parents with fair credit borrow at a higher rate, which changes the saving.

A scenario where the parents would borrow more than $65,000 is left out, as is one at a college that reports no aid for the income. The figure is for a household that lives in Michigan.

Costs: each college's own published price where it has one, otherwise the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, carried forward to fall 2027. Grants: each program’s own page. Scholarships: each college's own page, read by us and checked against it. SmartTuition.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any institution named here.