Updated Dec. 11
On December 5, President Santa J. Ono announced the expansion of the Go Blue Guarantee and members of the Board of Regents addressed public commenters who spoke about DEI. A video recording of the meeting is available.
The following are excerpts of the president’s and regents’ comments.
President Santa J. Ono (timestamp 13:00): I am delighted to announce that we are expanding the University of Michigan Go Blue Guarantee. We are making this announcement now so that, as students consider their decisions for next fall, they will know that the University of Michigan is doing everything we can to ensure every in-state student who is admitted can attend.
Beginning next fall, eligible incoming and returning full-time, in-state students whose families have annual incomes up to $125,000 and assets up to $125,000, will qualify for this incredible opportunity. This is a sizable and transformative increase over our current income thresholds of $75,000 for the Ann Arbor and Dearborn campuses and $65,000 for the Flint campus.
This expansion will enable nearly 2,200 additional in-state, current undergraduate students to qualify for tuition-free education at our Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses. And it will mean that by next fall, more than 10,000 students will have received the full-tuition guarantee since the initiative began.
We’re so pleased by this moment, and we’re so looking forward to the opportunities it will provide to students and families from all across the state – outstanding individuals who will find a University of Michigan education is within their grasp – and then who will go on to exceed their dreams.
Thank you to the Regents for your leadership and support of this transformational effort that will support an inclusive and equitable environment at each of our campuses.
Following the comments of a speaker who discussed the importance of the Wolverine Pathway, Michigan College and Advising Corps and Summer Bridge programs, Regent Michael Behm said (timestamp 1:23:16): All the programs that you mentioned, I don’t think there’s a person at the table who plans on making any cuts to any of those programs.
I don’t know where these assumptions have come from. I don’t know where these rumors have come from. … I think we just want you to know there are no plans to make any cuts to any of those programs. I have a meeting scheduled in the next two weeks to increase Wolverine Pathways in the Flint area.
