Financial aid plan revamped and Go Blue Guarantee launched - Students (June 17, 2021)

Dear UM-Dearborn Students, 

Today the University of Michigan Board of Regents affirmed UM-Dearborn’s commitment to student success, academic excellence and creating access and opportunity for qualified students, with the approval of the university’s $155 million 2021-2022 general fund operating budget. 

The fiscal year 2022 budget includes a 1.9% tuition increase, which aligns with the Higher Education Price Index and is well below the expected state of Michigan cap. As UM-Dearborn continues to be challenged to serve students with less state support, maintaining the excellence of our education programs and ensuring access to the university are among our top priorities. While it is never easy to raise tuition, this increase is the lowest possible to maintain these priorities. In order to maintain our commitment to ensuring access to a UM-Dearborn educational experience, we will work to offset any impact of the increase for students who have a FAFSA on file and have a family income below $100,000. If you have not completed your FAFSA, please do so today using school code: 002326.

Go Blue Guarantee Extended to UM-Dearborn  

The Regents also extended the Go Blue Guarantee – U-M’s landmark promise of four years of free tuition for high-achieving in-state undergraduate students from low-income backgrounds – to the Dearborn and Flint campuses. Beginning this fall, full-time, high-achieving undergraduate in-state students who are admitted to and attend UM-Dearborn will automatically qualify for the award if they have a family income of $65,000 or less and assets below $50,000.

In addition to meeting the income and asset provisions, incoming first-time college students need a high school GPA of at least 3.5 to qualify for the Go Blue Guarantee and will be eligible for up to eight semesters of free tuition. Incoming transfer students need a transfer GPA of at least 3.5 and will be eligible for up to four semesters of free tuition. Returning students at UM-Dearborn who have not exceeded the semester limit as noted will be eligible starting this fall and must have a GPA of at least 3.0. Program specifics are available on the UM-Dearborn Go Blue Guarantee website with additional information added as it becomes available. 

The initiative is supported by donors including the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and Kathy and Jim Hackett. The expansion to Dearborn and Flint will include financial support from the Ann Arbor campus for at least six years as the programs become established, and the Guarantee will be a focus of fundraising in the years ahead. 

The Go Blue Guarantee is for full-time undergraduate in-state students. UM-Dearborn will continue to provide significant financial aid for those students who do not qualify for the Go Blue Guarantee based on individual need and merit.

As of last fall, we have been running a pilot program that was aligned with our need-first financial aid strategy, offering incoming first year students full tuition awards that met the above criteria. These additional funds will help to supplement the already significant investment that UM-Dearborn has been providing during the pilot program. We are grateful for the leadership of President Schlissel, the Regents and our philanthropic partners on bringing this important initiative to our campus.

Tuition Information 

Last year, to align with our commitment to student success, the university introduced a “block tuition” structure to encourage undergraduate students to take increased course loads and graduate more quickly and economically. 

Tuition and fees will increase 1.9% for all students. 

• Full-time, in-state, undergraduate students will see a $264 annual increase to $13,816.
• Full-time, out-of-state undergraduate students will see tuition and fees at $28,048, or about $528 more than last year. 
• Graduate students will see an increase of about $180 annually, for in-state students, or $336 annually, for out-of-state students, for the typical part-time (6 credit hours per term) graduate rate. 

The university will continue with the reduced registration fee of $200 per semester that was introduced last year. 

To help the UM-Dearborn community better understand our budget decisions, we have posted information to our website. In the coming weeks, students enrolled for Fall 2021 will receive an email when their tuition charges, and any applicable financial aid, are ready for review.

Fall 2021 Plans + Registration Reminder 

As we move through summer, we do so with renewed excitement about the transitional return to campus planned at UM-Dearborn this fall. Last month, we shared details with you regarding the university’s plan for the Fall 2021 semester. Highlights of these plans include more than 60% of classes taught on campus or in a hybrid modality, with a specific attention to in-person experiences for first- and second-year students to aid in student success. 

A return of activities on campus also means a return of some of the in-person programs and events that our campus community loves. We’ve learned a lot throughout the pandemic about how best to serve our diverse student population, and will use that learning to ensure that we are remaining flexible, providing various formats for engagement and prioritizing student success. 

There is still much work to be done, but we look forward to seeing you back on campus this fall. As a reminder fall registration is open, if you haven’t already, we encourage you to register today. 

Go Blue - Go Dearborn! 

Domenico Grasso
Chancellor