College makes tuition-free guarantee for low-income students across Michigan
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Siena Heights University has announced it will expand its “Brain Gain Promise” tuition-free guarantee to all eligible students in Michigan.
The program was previously only offered to students in Lenawee County, where SHU resides. Now, any student who is a Michigan resident and comes from a household with a total annual income less than $65,000 can attend with no tuition.
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Students who come from a household with a total income of $80,000 or less will not pay more than $10,000 per year in tuition.
New university president Douglas Palmer made the announcement in his inaugural address last week.
“Siena Heights University prides itself on being a good community partner,” Palmer said in a statement. “We know that Michigan families are hurting, and we want to provide an opportunity to get an enriching college education while being financially feasible.”
The Brain Gain Promise has been devised to combat “brain drain.”
“With many skilled professionals leaving Michigan to pursue economically advantageous opportunities in other states, Siena Heights is looking to do its part in remedying the brain drain phenomenon,” the university said in a statement. “By increasing Michigan students’ access to quality and affordable higher education, Siena Heights hopes to boost the connections and opportunities that come through internships, experiential learning, service learning and the curricular and co-curricular benefits of a liberal arts education.”
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The tuition discount covers all tuition costs after federal and state financial aid. To qualify, students must also maintain full-time enrollment for both the fall and winter semesters.
The tuition-free guarantee is set to start this fall.
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