How UofM's Go Blue Guarantee is Opening Doors for Local Students

If you’ve ever thought the University of Michigan was out of reach financially, even for in-state families. there’s some big news you should know about. U-M is expanding its Go Blue Guarantee, and it’s about to make college way more affordable for thousands of Michigan students, especially right here in Ann Arbor.

Here’s the deal: starting in Fall 2025, if you live in Michigan and your family earns $125,000 or less a year and has assets under $125,000 you could qualify for free tuition at the University of Michigan. And that’s not just for the Ann Arbor campus. It also includes U-M Dearborn and U-M Flint.

But wait, it gets better for folks staying right here in town. If a student qualifies for the Go Blue Guarantee and plans to go into teaching or nursing, U-M Ann Arbor will also cover housing and other required fees. That means students can focus on becoming the next great educator or nurse without stressing over rent or extra expenses. And for those continuing into U-M’s social work master’s program, there’s even a special Graduate Guarantee covering tuition, housing, and fees.

So yeah, U-M is finally putting some serious action behind making top-tier education accessible to Michigan families especially ones that fall into that “we make too much for help but too little to afford this” category. You know, the ones that always get overlooked.

This is a huge shift from when the program first launched in 2018. Back then, it only covered full tuition for families earning under $65,000. They've steadily increased the threshold over the years, and now they’re nearly doubling it. According to U-M, this expansion is expected to help over 2,000 additional students starting next year.

And you don’t need to fill out a bunch of extra forms or fight to prove you qualify. As long as you’re a Michigan resident and you fill out your FAFSA on time, U-M will automatically consider you for the Go Blue Guarantee. They’ll check the financials and notify you directly.

If you’re thinking, “Okay this sounds great, but I want to see the campus first,” U-M makes that easy too. You can book a tour online through admissions.umich.edu, and they have in-person and virtual options. Especially if you’ve got a high school junior or senior in the house, this is a good time to walk around and get a feel for what’s possible.

Need help navigating financial aid or understanding how this all works? U-M also offers one-on-one virtual sessions with financial aid counselors. You can schedule those directly through their site at finaid.umich.edu.

This is the kind of move that could really change lives not just for students, but for whole families. And for a town like Ann Arbor that’s so tied to the University, it's good to see U-M investing in making education more equitable and accessible for its own community.

Know someone who should read this? Send them this article and tell them to check their FAFSA deadlines (they should aim to file by March 31 to be safe). The Go Blue Guarantee could be the difference between graduating debt-free and not going at all.

If you’re a local educator, counselor, or parent and want someone from U-M to speak to your school or group, the admissions office also takes outreach requests. Just visit goblueguarantee.umich.edu for more info.