Go Blue Guarantee Eligibility

What is the Go Blue Guarantee and what does it cover?

The Go Blue Guarantee is U-M's commitment to cover undergraduate tuition and mandatory university fees for up to four years for students who:

• are eligible for in-state tuition
• are eligible to apply for financial aid
• have family incomes of $125,000 or less and assets below $125,000 (effective fall 2025); the current thresholds are family incomes of $75,000 or less and assets below $75,000
• are pursuing their first bachelor’s degree

Income and assets are verified each academic year during the aid application process and the guarantee requires students to apply for financial aid. The guarantee is for fall/winter terms.

There is tuition support for some families earning more. Learn more about Qualifying for Aid.

What is tuition and what fees are covered?

Tuition is the specific charge the student will be billed for their classes. Tuition is one of the costs incorporated in the Cost of Attendance. Additional expenses that aren't covered by the Go Blue Guarantee include housing and meals (both in a residence hall or living off campus), books and supplies, and personal items (for example, personal hygiene products, cleaning supplies, and modest entertainment). Fees covered are full-time, mandatory university fees as defined by the U-M Office of the Registrar.

How is tuition covered?

U-M considers all sources of tuition funding, grants, and scholarship assistance when determining eligibility for the Go Blue Guarantee. For example, if you have a Federal Pell Grant, a partial Kalamazoo Promise scholarship, and an institutional scholarship specifically for tuition, these resources would be totaled and we would cover any gap between that and the cost of tuition to make up your Go Blue Guarantee.

When is it effective?

As approved by the U-M Board of Regents, the Go Blue Guarantee began on Jan. 1, 2018. It is incorporated into the financial aid notification process each academic year.

Will I get the Go Blue Guarantee for my entire education at U-M?

Tuition is covered (fall/winter terms only) for up to four academic years (or eight terms) of post-secondary education, if you qualify each academic year. If you attend beyond this specified time, tuition will not be covered as part of this program. However, you may qualify for other need-based assistance to help with your tuition expense.

Who gets it?

U-M resident undergraduates earning their first degree and who meet the income and asset provisions noted. Students must apply for financial aid by the priority application deadline and meet financial aid eligibility requirements to be considered. Continuing students must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress to receive any financial aid from U-M.

What does U-M consider when looking at student and family income?

We use information from the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and CSS Profile financial aid applications, and sometimes request other documents to verify family income and assets. We compute separate financial contributions for custodial and non-custodial parents and they are both considered for institutional aid. We define income as the total of student and parent(s) wages, earnings from a business or other self-employment, other taxable income such as unemployment compensation, and all untaxed income.

What assets are used when considering eligibility for the Go Blue Guarantee?

We consider total net worth of the student and parent(s), which includes: ​home equity, savings/checking, investments, real estate and business net worth, but not retirement accounts.

Is this automatically given for four years, or am I reconsidered based on family income and assets each year? Can U-M reconsider my funding if my parents’ financial situation changes?

Your eligibility is reviewed each year and you and your family must meet the income and asset criteria. You must apply for financial aid by our priority deadline. Family financial situations can affect this tuition guarantee program.

What if I lose eligibility in my sophomore year? Will I be again considered in my junior year?

Yes. Your financial aid application will be reviewed each year for the Go Blue Guarantee program, up to a total of four years. Students may demonstrate eligibility for the Go Blue Guarantee in one, two, three, or all four years.

Is the Go Blue Guarantee applicable to graduate programs?

The Go Blue Guarantee program will assist eligible students enrolled in their first Bachelor's Degree (undergraduate) program.

Can my financial aid change if you have asked to review additional documents or information?

If we have requested additional information, your funding is contingent on you providing this information for our review. If the information submitted is different from what was reported to us originally, your funding may change.

Can I attend part-time and still get the Go Blue Guarantee?

No. You must be enrolled full-time to receive the U-M Go Blue Guarantee.

What if I take a semester off of school and am not enrolled?

Your eligibility will be reviewed for each academic year (fall and winter semesters) in which you enroll. If you take a semester, or year, off to pursue some other interest, your eligibility will be again determined upon your return to the University of Michigan, up to a maximum of four years.

I am working to earn a second bachelor’s degree. Can I qualify for the Go Blue Guarantee for tuition?

No. You must be earning a first bachelor’s degree to be considered and to qualify. Students who are completing a second bachelor's degree may be eligible for federal student loans, up to the aggregate borrowing maximum for undergraduate students. Second bachelor degree students may also be eligible for private educational loans and scholarship assistance.

I am transferring to the UM-Ann Arbor campus. Can I get the Go Blue Guarantee?

Transfer students are eligible, as well as incoming first-year and continuing students. Your eligibility will be considered when you apply for financial aid and your family income and assets are considered.

Receiving the Go Blue Guarantee at UM-Dearborn or UM-Flint does not automatically mean you will qualify on the Ann Arbor campus. Your eligibility will be based on your FAFSA and CSS Profile aid applications.

Will periods of enrollment at another institution be included in the four years of the Go Blue Guarantee?

No. When determining the total length of enrollment, enrollment at another institution will not be included.

My Go Blue Guarantee does not appear on my spring/summer financial aid notice. Why?

The Go Blue Guarantee is not offered during spring and/or summer periods of enrollment. Even though there is no tuition guarantee during spring and/or summer terms, you will be considered for other forms of institutional grant aid.

What about my 529 tax deferred college savings plan paying for my college? Will I still receive the Go Blue Guarantee?

Using a 529 college savings plan or a 529 prepaid tuition plan, like the Michigan Educational Savings Program or Michigan Education Trust, does not change your eligibility for the Go Blue Guarantee. Funding that makes up the Go Blue Guarantee can be refunded to you if other payments are covering your tuition.

My Go Blue Grant shows as less than my full tuition on my financial aid notice. Why?

Other grants and scholarships, such as the Federal Pell Grant and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and some UM-funded scholarships contribute to this tuition guarantee program. In these cases, U-M makes up the difference and covers a student’s full tuition using the Go Blue Grant.

I did not qualify for the Go Blue Guarantee. Can I appeal this decision?

All financial aid decisions may be appealed through a committee process that reviews extenuating or special circumstances. The U-M Office of Financial Aid makes the final determination of eligibility, considering all factors affecting a family's financial situation. You may be asked to provide documentation of your special circumstance.

Questions?

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 734-763-6600