Grants
Grants are free money to help pay for college.
Grants are a form of gift aid (no service or repayment requirements) with eligibility based on need. To be considered for federal, state or university grants, a student must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually.
Visit the State of Michigan Programs for more information on the specific programs available through the state.
Federal Grants
All these grants require a student to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and demonstrate need according to program criteria. Many programs have funding limitations. It is to a student’s advantage to file the FAFSA by the recommended filing deadline and respond promptly to any request for documents.
Eligibility Criteria
- Usually awarded to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need
- Undergraduate; first bachelor's degree
- Eligibility is based, in part, on student enrollment at the beginning of a semester. If a student withdraws or receives a non-passing grade for a class, we must confirm that the student attended at least one session of that class. If you did not attend a class for which you withdrew or received a non-passing grade your Federal Pell funding will be reduced
Terms of Grant
- Based on need
- Grant amounts and maximums vary
- Must be enrolled at least half-time; less than half-time enrollment allowed in certain circumstances
- Pell Grant recipients are eligible to receive a maximum of 12 full-time semesters of this grant. Once a student has used 12 full-time semesters, they are no longer eligible for any additional Federal Pell Grant
- There is an annual Federal Pell limit. Students enrolled full-time for fall/winter terms will use their annual limit in these terms. Students may have spring/summer eligibility depending upon FAFSA data
For more information on the Federal Pell Grant Program, visit studentaid.gov.
Eligibility Criteria
- For 2024-25, FSEOG is granted to students who have completed FAFSA, pursuing their first bachelor's degree and are both Pell-eligible and possess between a -1500 and 0 Student Aid Index (SAI). We treat a negative SAI as a 0 for this award.
- Must complete the financial aid application process by the priority deadline
- Grant amounts vary based on available funding
Terms of Grant
- Must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits)
Beginning with the 2024-25 Aid Year, students will no longer receive the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant. Instead, if UM-Dearborn receives notification of your eligibility, we will certify your status, and additional Federal PELL grant funds will be awarded.
Eligibility Criteria
- You may be eligible to receive the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant if:
- you are not eligible for a Federal Pell Grant on the basis of your Expected Family Contribution but
- meet the remaining Federal Pell Grant eligibility requirements, and
- your parent or guardian was a member of the U.S. armed forces and died as a result of military service performed in Iraq or Afghanistan after the events of 9/11, and
- you were under 24 years old or enrolled in college at least part-time at the time of your parent’s or guardian’s death.
- Due to federal sequestration: An Iraq-Afghanistan Service Grant where the first disbursement is on or after October 1, 2019 and before October 1, 2020 requires a reduction of 5.9% from the amount for which the student would otherwise have been eligible. An Iraq-Afghanistan Service Grant where the first disbursement is on or after October 1, 2020 and before October 1, 2021 requires a reduction of 5.7% from the amount for which the student would otherwise have been eligible.
Terms of Grant
- The grant is equal to the amount of a maximum Federal Pell Grant for the financial aid year but cannot exceed your cost of attendance for that year.
For more information on the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant Program, visit studentaid.gov.
Eligibility Criteria
- Not need-based
- Must complete a FAFSA
- Available to eligible graduate as well as undergraduate students
- Must be enrolled in coursework necessary to begin a career in teaching
- Students agree to teach a "high need field", full-time, and for a minimum of four years within eight years following program completion. The TEACH Grant will remain a grant if recipients meet specific criteria. If recipients do not meet the criteria, the TEACH Grant converts to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan with interest calculated to the initial disbursement date(s).
Terms of Grant
- The cumulative grade point average requirement for the TEACH Grant is 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) for undergraduate and graduate students
For more information about TEACH, visit the Federal Student Aid Website