MARQUETTE, Mich. (WJMN) – Northern Michigan University announced on Thursday that it is launching a new financial assistance program to provide qualified incoming Michigan resident first-year students free tuition for four years, beginning in Fall 2023.

According to the release, the program, called the NMU Tuition Advantage, serves as a “last dollar” scholarship for students who are graduating from a Michigan high school in 2023, are eligible for the Federal Pell Grant and who qualify to receive the state’s new Michigan Achievement Scholarship. The program excludes those attending NMU’s Global Campus.

“Thanks to the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and the increase in funding to the Federal Pell Grant, Northern is now in the position to make a strategic investment that completely removes tuition as a barrier between many students with financial need and the pursuit of their college dreams,” said NMU President Brock Tessman.

The NMU Tuition Advantage will cover the remaining tuition balance after the Federal Pell Grant, the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, NMU scholarships/grants and any tuition-specific internal or external funds are considered. The award is available for eight semesters as long as the student continues to qualify for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, is eligible for the Federal Pell Grant and meets NMU’s Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.

“We’re dedicated to removing all types of barriers to access and success for both incoming and current NMU students,” said Tessman. “To all our current students, I want to emphasize that we are more than matching our investment in the Tuition Advantage program with increased financial aid, merit aid, and basic needs support for students already on campus. For example, to address basic needs, Northern is increasing institutional support to the NMU Food Pantry, converting residence halls to apartments for upper class students due to recent area housing constraints, and opening a new wellness facility next to our residence halls and academic mall to continue the University’s enhancement of on-campus wellbeing services.”

For more information on the NMU Tuition Advantage Program, please visit www.nmu.edu/tuitionadvantage.