Michigan Promise Scholarship &
Michigan Merit Award

What is the Michigan Promise Scholarship?

The Michigan Promise Scholarship was established by the State in December of 2006. The award replaces the Michigan Merit Award. It provides up to $4,000 to high school graduates for successfully completing two years of postsecondary education beginning with the high school graduating class of 2007.

What is the Michigan Merit Award?

The Michigan Merit Award (also known as the MEAP AWARD) is a $2500 award given by the State of Michigan to qualifying students. This award does not apply to high school graduating classes of 2007 and beyond.

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How do I qualify to receive these awards?

Michigan Promise Scholarship

  • Must be a Michigan resident.
  • Take the State Assessment Test; either the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP), or the Michigan Merit Exam (MME) depending on high school graduating class year as listed below.
  • Enroll at an approved postsecondary institution in Michigan or a military service academy within two years of becoming a high school graduate (two-year period would be extended for service in armed forces or Peace Corps).
  • Complete the postsecondary education requirements (associate's degree, etc.) within four years of initial enrollment at the postsecondary institution.
  • Achieve a cumulative college grade point average of 2.5 (except for students completing vocational education programs that do not record grades).
  • Be a high school graduate or have passed the GED or any other graduate equivalency exam approved by the State Board of Education.
  • Certify his or her eligibility for a scholarship.
  • Meets all other eligibility criteria.

Michigan Merit Award

  • To qualify a student must take the MEAP (Michigan Educational Assessment Program) tests and score Level I (exceeded Michigan standards) or Level II (met Michigan standards) on the Math, Science, Reading and Writing sections.
  • Check out the Michigan Merit site for more details.

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Maximum Award

Michigan Promise

  • Students who receive qualifying scores on the State Assessment Test (MEAP or MME depending on high school graduating class year) may receive up to $1,000 per academic year for each of their first two years of college enrollment and up to $2,000 after the successful completion of two years of postsecondary education with at least a 2.5 GPA (associate's degree, two-year certificate, vocational education program or 50 percent of the academic requirements for a bachelor's degree).
  • Students who do not receive qualifying scores on the State Assessment Test (MEAP or MME depending on high school graduating class year) may receive up to $4,000 after the successful completion of two years of postsecondary education with at least a 2.5 GPA (associate's degree, two-year certificate, vocational education program or 50 percent of the academic requirements for a bachelor's degree).
  • Students completing a vocational training program requiring less than two years to complete may be eligible for a prorated scholarship amount.
  • Information taken from www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid.

If you are eligible for the Michigan Promise Scholarship and would like to use it for academic year 2008-2009, you must complete the following steps:

  • Inform the State of Michigan that you want SVSU to receive the Michigan Promise funds. You can certify your award with the state at http://www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid/0,1607,7-128-38193_44522---,00.html. You must certify the award by November 15, 2008 (see "Important News" below for more details).
  • Inform SVSU that you will receive the Michigan Promise Scholarship. This can be done by indicating the expected award on a returning award letter and by providing SVSU a completed copy of the online certification form. This should be done as soon as possible, but no later than the payment deadline date in order to apply your award toward your Fall 2008 and/or Winter 2009 tuition and fees and/or housing charges.

Michigan Merit

$2500 to be dispersed over the course of two academic years ($1250 a year).

If you are eligible for the Michigan Merit Award and would like to use it for academic year 2008-2009, you must complete the following steps:

  • Inform the State of Michigan that you want SVSU to receive the Michigan Merit funds. You can certify your award with the state at https://treas-secure.state.mi.us/meritaward/index.htm. You must certify the award by November 15, 2008 (see "Important News" below for more details).
  • Inform SVSU that you will receive the Michigan Merit Award. This can be done by indicating the expected award on a returning award letter and by providing SVSU a completed copy of the online certification form. This should be done as soon as possible, but no later than the payment deadline date in order to apply your award toward your Fall 2008 and/or Winter 2009 tuition and fees and/or housing charges.

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Contact Information

For more information on the Michigan Promise Scholarship or Michigan Merit Award, contact the Office of Scholarships and Grants toll-free at 1-888-4-GRANTS (888-447-2687) or e-mail osg(at)michigan.gov.

For more information on the MEAP or the MME, contact the Michigan Department of Education toff-free at 1-888-4-GRANTS (888-447-2687).

 

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Important News

To claim your Michigan Promise Scholarship/Michigan Merit Award, you must meet all program requirements by completing a certification process and selecting a payment year option by November 15 of the academic year in which the award is used. For example, in order to use the award in the 2008-09 academic year, the student must certify and select a 2008-09 academic year payment option by November 15, 2008. Failure to certify by November 15, 2008, would make you ineligible to receive the Michigan Merit until the 2008-2009 academic year.

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