Wayne State University is making a huge commitment to Michigan students and families with the launch of the new Wayne State Guarantee, which will provide free tuition to incoming Michigan students with family incomes of $70,000 or less.

Last year, 46% of first-year Wayne State students had zero out-of-pocket expenses for their tuition and fees thanks to the university’s tuition pledge programs. The Guarantee will push that number to 50%.

“Wayne State has a long history of being a university of access and opportunity, and now our commitment to making a college degree affordable comes in the form of a guarantee,” said Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson.

The Wayne State Guarantee – coupled with the state’s new Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which provides up to $5,500 per year for up to five years to students attending a Michigan public university – is another step toward Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s goal of increasing the number of working-age adults with a skill certificate or college degree from 50.5% today to 60% by 2030.

“Students in Michigan deserve the opportunity to receive quality, affordable higher education,” said Whitmer. “I’m proud to work with universities across the state to lower the cost of college for Michigan students and help them gain the skills to be prepared for the new and expanding businesses coming to the state. Last year, almost half of first-year students at Wayne State University had zero out-of-pocket expenses; with this initiative, the university is offering that opportunity to even more students.” 

In 2021, the median household income in Michigan was $64,488. Students with family incomes of $70,000 or less and assets of $50,000 or less qualify for the Wayne State Guarantee.

“Too many students and their families do not think that college is an option because it’s too expensive,” said Wayne State Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Mark Kornbluh. “However, I think they would be surprised. At Wayne State, we have robust financial aid programs and we work very hard to make attending one of the top research universities in the country affordable for each and every student.”

Wayne State provides nearly $350 million in financial aid annually and has the lowest tuition of Michigan’s three major research universities.

The Wayne State Guarantee covers the full cost of tuition and standard fees (matriculation, registration, and student service fees) with a combination of federal, state and other Wayne State scholarships and grants. The award is renewable for up to four years, with the option to apply for a fifth year if the student is on track to graduate in that year.

To be eligible for the Wayne State Guarantee in fall 2023, in addition to being a Michigan resident, students must submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and apply to Wayne State by April 1, 2023.

Questions about the Wayne State Guarantee can be directed to the Office of Student Financial Aid at studentservice@wayne.edu or 313-577-2100.