Wayne State University will build upon its long-standing commitment to providing opportunity and access to higher education through a new partnership with Raise.me, a platform that offers high school students the opportunity to earn scholarships on their path to college.

The exciting new program allows prospective students to earn scholarships from Wayne State ranging from $150 to $3,000, based on their progress and accomplishments throughout high school. Eligible students can start earning micro-scholarships as early as ninth grade for various achievements such as maintaining a GPA above 3.5, completing an AP course, scoring well on the SAT or ACT, visiting WSU’s campus, volunteering in their community, and participating in an extracurricular activity or sport.  

Nearly 3,000 students, including many within Detroit Public Schools, have already connected with WSU and begun earning scholarships through the Raise.me program.

“Making an early connection allows Wayne State to develop a meaningful relationship with prospective students to celebrate and reward their successes,” said Dawn Medley, Wayne State’s associate vice president for enrollment management. “This program lets us play a role in supporting the student’s development as they start thinking about college.”

Raise.me is supporting students in 1 out of every 2 high schools in all 50 states to discover new colleges and earn scholarships at over 200 institutions. Of these students, 40 percent are low-income and 35 percent would be the first in their families to attend college.

“Raise.me shares Wayne State’s commitment to providing access to higher education for students who may have not thought it was in reach,” Medley said. “This partnership creates opportunities to engage with students and help them realize and achieve their goals.”

To get started with the Raise.me program, students create free portfolio online, select colleges they are interested in attending and add their achievements. From there, students are able to track their progress and connect with prospective colleges or universities.

The ability to track their earned scholarships also gives students a clear idea about their potential financial aid before applying to college. To be eligible for the Raise.me program at WSU, students must have a cumulative, unweighted GPA of 3.0 and apply by Dec. 1 of their senior year. Eligible students in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, who apply and are admitted to Wayne State can earn up to $5,000 in scholarships per year. All other students who apply and are admitted may earn up to $6,000 per year.

“Giving students the opportunity to earn these scholarships can help make higher education more accessible,” said Cathy Kay, WSU’s director of financial aid. “Knowing that they’re guaranteed a certain amount of financial aid before applying empowers students to plan ahead and make an informed decision.”

To learn more about the Raise.me program at Wayne State, visit raise.me or contact media@raise.me. For questions related to Wayne State University admissions or scholarships, contact the Student Service Center at 313-577-2100 or studentservice@wayne.edu.