Gov. Whitmer Announces State FAFSA Priority Deadline Extended to May 1 to Ensure More Michiganders Have Opportunity to Lower Cost of Higher Education

LANSING, Mich. – Governor Gretchen Whitmer today announced that students who want to be given priority consideration for state of Michigan financial aid programs now have some extra time to complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Completing and submitting a FAFSA is a critical step when applying for grants, scholarships, and other forms of financial assistance to help lower the cost of higher education.

“We must work together to help Michiganders pursue their potential by lowering the cost of higher education so they can get the skills they need to land good-paying jobs,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “The FAFSA opens the door to countless scholarships and other forms of financial assistance, and I’m pleased we’re able to extend the deadline so more students can take advantage of this program and lower the cost of higher education. I encourage every student to complete this application to ensure they receive every penny possible to help pay for a college education and set themselves up for long-term success. Please don’t wait to submit your application, you could be missing out on valuable financial assistance.”

FAFSA submissions now received at the federal processor on or before May 1 are given priority consideration for the Michigan Competitive Scholarship and Michigan Tuition Grant. The original state priority consideration deadline was March 1.

Students who wait to complete their FAFSA after the new May 1 extended deadline may not receive all the financial aid they could have been entitled to receive.

“Completing the FAFSA should be on top of everyone’s list when applying for college financial aid,” said State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks. “We are hopeful this deadline extension will help families who have been faced with challenges. Please do not delay and complete this free application today.”

Prior to completing the FAFSA online, the student and at least one parent or guardian must obtain a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) at fafsa.gov. This ID serves as a legal signature and confirms an applicant’s identity when accessing financial aid information through certain U.S. Department of Education Web sites. On average, it takes about seven minutes to create a FAFSA ID. Federal Student Aid has a variety of resources to walk users through each step of creating a FSA ID.

To get started with the FAFSA, go to fafsa.gov. To learn more about State of Michigan scholarships and grant programs, visit MI Student Aid’s Web site at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid.

Administered by Treasury, MI Student Aid is Michigan’s go-to resource for finding the financial resources needed to pay for college. For more information, contact MI Student Aid at mistudentaid@michigan.gov, 1-888-447-2687 or @mistudentaid on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.

Other Postsecondary Education Programs

Governor Whitmer believes that every Michigander deserves a path to a high wage job, and she is committed to making college degrees and skill certificates available and affordable for more residents. In the past year alone, over 170,000 Michiganders applied for scholarships through Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners, two programs she created to put people on tuition-free paths to better-paying jobs.

Reconnect scholarships are accepted by all Michigan community colleges and are even available to eligible adults who are already enrolled in their local community college. The program pays the remaining balance of tuition and mandatory fees after other state and federal financial aid have been applied. For those who choose to attend an out-of-district community college, Reconnect will pay the in-district portion of tuition.