Michigan Achievement Scholarship requirements are mostly about timing and financial need, not grades. If you graduate from a Michigan high school, file the FAFSA, show a Student Aid Index (SAI) of 30,000 or less and enroll full time within 15 months, you can get up to $5,500 a year for up to five years at a Michigan university. There's no GPA or test-score requirement. At a community college, in-district tuition is free for every recent graduate, with no income test.
The rules below are from MI Student Aid's Michigan Achievement Scholarship pages.
Who qualifies
To receive the scholarship at a university, you must:
- File the FAFSA.
- Be a Michigan resident since July 1 of the previous calendar year. If you're a dependent student, your parent must be too.
- Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or approved refugee.
- Graduate from high school in 2023 or later, with a diploma or certificate of completion, or earn a high school equivalency certificate in 2023 or later.
- Show financial need: an SAI of 30,000 or less.
- Enroll full time as an undergraduate at an eligible institution within 15 months of graduating.
You're not eligible if you're in default on a federal student loan.
The 15-month rule matters most for gap years. MI Student Aid gives the deadlines by class: spring graduates of 2026 must enroll by fall 2027; 2025 graduates by fall 2026.
How much it pays
| Pathway | Award | Income test |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan public university, private college or university, or a community college bachelor's program | Up to $5,500 a year, up to 5 years ($27,500 total) | SAI of 30,000 or less |
| Community College Guarantee (community or Tribal college) | In-district tuition, contact hours and mandatory fees, plus a $1,000 bonus for Pell-eligible students | None |
Source: MI Student Aid.
Out-of-district community college students still get "a significant discount," MI Student Aid says. The Community College Guarantee renews for up to three years.
What the SAI cutoff means
Your SAI comes from the FAFSA and reflects your family's income, assets and size. MI Student Aid says 7 in 10 students at four-year universities qualify. The only way to know your SAI is to file the FAFSA.
Keeping it
Each year you must:
- File the FAFSA again.
- Stay enrolled full time.
- Stay a Michigan resident.
- Keep an SAI of 30,000 or less.
- Meet your college's Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) rules.
Lost it? You can get it back once you meet the renewal requirements again.
How it combines with university promises
Several Michigan public universities require the Achievement Scholarship as part of their own free-tuition programs: Eastern Michigan, Ferris State, Northern Michigan and Oakland, according to the Michigan Association of State Universities. MI Student Aid also notes that "some colleges and universities have free tuition programs for recipients." See Michigan free tuition programs.
What this means for you
- File the 2027-28 FAFSA and list the Michigan colleges you're considering.
- Don't take a long gap. You must enroll full time within 15 months of graduating.
- Plan on full time. Dropping below full time can affect your award; talk to your financial aid office first.
- Not sure about a four-year school? Starting at your in-district community college is tuition-free, with no income test.