The University of Michigan has announced that it will launch a new scholarship program aimed at encouraging students from the Upper Peninsula to attend the school.
The College of Literature, Science and the Arts will be starting the cohort-based scholarship program in fall 2020. It will provide financial, academic, professional and social support for its students, including individual coaching and workshops tailored to U.P students.
The scholarship awards up to $15,000 per year for undergraduate study. Students in the program must be full-time students, maintain a 3.0 GPA, complete 20 hours of community service a year and attend workshops.
“We are committed to increasing access for students from across the state of Michigan, and the U.P. Scholars Program is our latest effort to do just that,” said Anne Curzan, dean of the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science and the Arts. “The U.P. Scholars Program will create a home away from home in Ann Arbor for students from the Upper Peninsula and provide them with mentorship, guidance, financial support, and a strong, close-knit community to bolster their success at U-M.”
Currently, more than 100 students in the LSA program and around 230 students at U-M come from the U.P.
The university said it wants this program to not only increase those numbers but help to break down misconceptions about the school students from the across the bridge may have.
“We’ve heard from students from the Upper Peninsula that they may be hesitant to apply to U-M due to the distance, perceived cultural differences, and financial barriers,” said Cheyenne Marlin, Assistant Director of the U.P. Scholars Program. “Our goal with this program is to change those perceptions and address these challenges.”
The program is based on the LSA Kessler Presidential Scholars Program and sponsored by a gift from a private donor.
“We want all students to have access to all of the resources and opportunities available to them so they can thrive here,” said Marlin. “No matter where you’re from in the state of Michigan, you belong at U-M.”
Staff from LSA will be in Houghton and Marquette on September 29 and 30 to meet with prospective students joining the U.P. Scholars Program. More information about the scholarship can be found here.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with Battleground State News and The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected].
