There are a lot of threads about Michigan focused on admission decision, but there seems to be little about scholarships.
CC for other schools have more robust scholarship discussions. My take away is that Michigan doesn’t have many scholarships opportunities or just doesn’t award many.
I am looking for comments on scholarships - info like:
What’s being awarded? Scholarship name and dollar amount
How the recipient was notified?
What was the timing with respect to the acceptance notice?
Are there any specifically of OOS students?
There is a thread about UMich merit scholarships. In short, there isn’t anything to apply for. The admissions application is essentially the scholarship application. My son got a scholarship that was for OOS students only (he graduated in May). We got a letter in the mail notifying us he was awarded 10K per year and it was a complete surprise. If you go to the website you can find a long list of scholarship opportunities. Basically, you just wait and see if you get something. I will say that my son’s came pretty late in the game, well after he was accepted.
Most of the merit scholarships for freshmen is automatically considered when you submit your application for early action. However, there are a few that require submitting application (e,g, Bell Scholarship). Usually those are from outside source but offer to UMich and a few other schools. You should look up the Financial Aid Office website. Full rides are available but very limited. Other than that the top scholarships for LSA and CoE students from OOS are usually $20k/year. There are a few specifically for OOS students while most just have smaller amount for in state students. The recipient will be notified by mail and e-mail. The large ones usually come out around Feb and there are special programs to invite the large scholarship winners to visit campus shortly after.
Yes, the website lists pages of scholarships, many of which have very specific requirements ( major, where you live, etc.). I didn’t pay too much attention since there was not a separate application. So we were completely surprised when my son was invited for the Shipman Scholarship weekend and told he was guaranteed $35k per year for OOS. Some students will receive an additional $5k per year. The first amount was smaller for IS, maybe $10 or $15?? The notification phone call was January 28, followed by an email. This particular scholarship was offered to 30 students. Good luck! Maybe some of the others do notifications this month.
In past years, the Shipman folks didn’t invite students until mid-February. I know there are a few posters whose students have received the invite so far (congrats!). Does anyone know if all of the invites are out?
D2 just received an individually addressed letter from the scholarship office in LSA. I’ll post when she gets home and we find out what’s in it. My guess is that it’s not Shipman, given that others got the emails a couple of weeks ago, but it could be promising. Too bad I’m the kind of mom who doesn’t open her kid’s mail!
I managed to hold out until D2 got home, but it was a near thing. She pointed out that the letter was from the office of Student Recruitment and Scholarships, and it could just be a recruiting letter. I pointed out that the envelope was too thick to be a single page. Yes, we’re the kind of household where people have these discussions even when the means of resolving the debate is at hand!
Soon after that exchange, though, she opened the envelope and found out she’d received a $20K/year scholarship from LSA!!! Quite a pleasant surprise, given that she’s OOS. Might be time to set up another visit after all!
^many of the main OOS scholarships are $20k/year (10k in-state). The Shipman is the largest and most rare and is larger than that
There is typically not a singe release date, though right about now is prime “season” though its also possible to receive something substantial later in the process, especially if the student is regular-decision.
The best way to think of it is “rolling scholarships” right up to acceptance time. You may not know where you sit financially until you have your entire fin aid package.
@adkdad The scholarship doesn’t seem to be named; it’s from the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. D2 was admitted to Michigan December 19th, invited to apply to Honors December 21st, applied to Honors before the first Honors deadline, and was admitted to Honors February 5th. Her award letter was mailed the 7th;she received it yesterday.
As you can see from the financial aid website, they have quite a few scholarships. I don’t know the order in which they do them, although I do assume they screen the students early on for the programs like Shipman that include a campus visit and selection process. I don’t think it would make sense, for example, to offer a student a scholarship like the one D2 received and then invite her to the Shipman weekend (though I’m certain she’d be delighted to receive the invitation!).
I don’t know of many schools are giving students their full financial aid packages this early in the process, except possibly for the ones that are essentially automatic for NMF. D2 hasn’t heard about admission for most of the schools she’s applied to (and won’t for more than a month in a few cases), so getting this news this early in the process was a happy surprise for her.
@Arlmom2 The LSA (and CoE too) scholarships will be named later. Before you really enroll, they do not assign you to a particular donor yet. You will find out later on. Also, watch out for the invited visits instead of arranging your own. For major scholarship winners, they may invite you for a dinner or a weekend program such as the Amaizing Blue. They may even cover your air ticket. When you receive that notice, make sure you register as soon as possible. Don’t count on the RSVP deadline. The spots will be filled out quickly. My D missed the Friday event which included a hotel stay, an evening program, and a private tour to the big house (Michigan Stadium) by delaying the response for a week.
Now I remember my D received the award notice in February since the Amaizing Blue was in March.
Correction. Amaizing Blue was in early April but the invitation came in early March. Feb to March was campus day for admitted students. We signed up for admitted students campus day before receiving the invitation for Amaizing Blue and Spring Welcome Day. The Campus Day requires a registration fee and we should have saved that money.
“Before you really enroll, they do not assign you to a particular donor yet.”
So, does that mean my D should enroll now in order to increase her chances of getting scholarship $?
She plans on going anyway, but we were holding off sending in our enrollment deposit, thinking waiting might increase her chances of getting a scholarship. Is the opposite, in fact, true though?
^ No. I mean the scholarships are awarded without specific name initially until after you are enrolled. Then they will assign your scholarship to a specific source with a name. You know they offer scholarships to admitted students while not every admitted student will come. Paying the enrollment deposit early would not increase your chance to get a scholarship. It may not decrease the chance either. Indeed, my D was offered more grant in the summer. Once they know how much aids they have left in summer, they will re-distribute them. My friend’s D did not get her freshmen scholarship until August, but that was a small one.
Thanks, @billcsho – that’s quite helpful. I’ll tell D2 to keep an eye out. We were talking about the visiting days, so I’ll hold off for now. I like the reference to “the big house”! Even though we’re OOS, I come from a Michigan family; I know it well!
