Will financial aid affect my chances of applying to the University of Michigan

I am applying to The University of Michigan which is need-aware and I was wondering if I should apply for financial aid or if with my stats I should just apply for none for a better chance at getting in. Here are my stats.

Demographics

  • Gender: Male
  • Residence: Pennsylvania
  • Income: Not gonna say exact but upper middle class
  • Grade: Senior

Intended Major(s): Engineering

Academics

  • GPA/Rank (or percentile): 4 UW and a 4.28 on a 4.5 weighted scale. No rank but top of my class is 4.3
  • 12 APs after this year
  • Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc BC, AP Chem, AP Lit, AP Gov, AP Stat, rest is stupid electives/study hall

Standardized Testing

  • SAT/ACT: 1560 (800M, 760R)
  • AP/IB: 5 (AP Bio, Euro, Comp Sci, Micro, Macro, Calc AB) || 4( AP Lit)

Extracurriculars/Activities:

FBLA - PR (12th grade)
I am PR for my FBLA chapter and this year I’m tasked with contacting 50+ businesses for our SLC and running a committee and an Instagram page.

STEM Club - Treasurer (12th grade)

Help put together in-house events and manage money

STUCO– Event Chair for Charity Drive and MORP (reverse Prom, 11th grade) and Co-founded First School Wide Field Day(12th grade)
Ran committees and raised over 2500 food/toiletry items and HOCO obviously the whole school attends and MORP has over 300 attendees and I helped set up and run the events and committees

Tutoring Club - PR/Co-founder (11th and 12th grade)
I run the social media, accept new tutors, and control department/subject heads

Part Time Job (11th and 12th)

I worked at mod pizza and I work 10 hours a week and help train new employees. I also am the second most senior member at our establishment

Mini-THON BOM Committee Member (11th and 12)

I was a committee member for the business operation management team for my schools version of Penn State’s THON. I personally raised $100 and for the committee I helped in raising a total of over $10k

JV Track and Field (9th and 10th)
Ran both distance and sprints and one 3rd place in my relay at a regional competition in my sophomore year (didn’t run junior year due to injury)

Non-Competitive Weightlifter (9-12th)

Mentored peers and stuff ykyk

Awards/Honors:

  1. 3rd Place PA FBLA Mobile App Dev 2024 (Made Nationals)
  2. 9th Place PA FBLA Mobile App Dev 2023
  3. Student of the Month
  4. NHS/German NHS

Essays:

I’ll say 6/10 conservatively. I think they might be like a 7 or higher but they definitely wouldn’t hurt my chances.

LORS:

AP Bio Teacher (Will be gas she pulled me aside saying she wants her kids to be like me and emailed my parents a paragraph as to why I was such a good student)

AP Lang Teacher (Had me Freshman and Junior year and really liked me and glazed me but maybe not as much as my bio teacher)

Counselor (1600+ kid public school. He hardly know me lol)

Can you be full pay at University of Michigan? If not…apply for aid. What good will an acceptance be if you can’t afford to attend.

IIRC, University of Michigan doesn’t guarantee to meet full need for OOS students. @Knowsstuff

How much aid would you need?

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Idk it might be a stretch to afford Michigan either way but if they don’t even offer that much for out of state students is there much point? Why would I jeopardize my chances to move 80k to 75k.

If all you would get in need based aid is $5000, I don’t think that amount would affect your chances at Michigan. Need aware colleges are looking at the level of support you need…at some point in admissions, they begin to look at how much funding applicants need. But if it’s not much, it might not have an impact at all.

@Mwfan1921

2 Likes

Yeah I think I’m gonna apply for aid. Thanks for the help

I have known students getting like $25-,30,000/year Out of state with financial aid and some grants/work study

But it’s an expensive school. It’s a reach for any OOS student even with your impressive credentials

Essays are a great way to separate yourself. Hopefully they view them better then 7/10.

Good luck.

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Specifically at Michigan? I thought UMich does not provide much financial aid OOS.

Yes…he is replying to my post which specifically is about Michigan…and I tagged him.

@Knowsstuff

I just checked Umich website and it states that they are committed to help in-state residents and list whom they help first. OOS students are not listed there.
Look under section How Aid is Awarded on Financial Aid website.

This is the question: Will financial aid affect my chances of applying to the University of Michigan

The answer is no.

btw - I don’t think they are need aware. Need aware means they will potentially take your finances into account in regards to an admission decision.

I don’t know of any publics that do that.

It’s just that - you might not have the ability to afford it if you get in.

Have your family fill out the net price calculator to see if you’d get any need aid.

Don’t forget, the final two years cost a lot more.

Welcome | Net Price Calculator (collegeboard.org)

Fortunately you will get into Penn State, in state for you.

1 Like

Read this:

As @knowstuff said, some OOS students do receive need based and/or merit aid from Michigan, here’s the relevant page:

With that said, I expect the vast majority of OOS students receive no FA.

Separately, I had always thought Michigan was need aware for OOS students. But, the website doesn’t say this. Nor does the website say they are need blind…which seems uncommon as need blind schools tend to tout that. I encourage anyone who really wants to know the definitive answer to call admissions or FA and ask.

For OP, if they need financial aid, they should apply for it.

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This is one of the many fallacies about Michigan. They try to help as many families as possible even OOS. It’s not as much as other schools give but they do.

I always encourage families to apply for financial aid even if they think they can’t afford it. Many are surprised they’re getting something. Their avg family at Michigan income is like $160,000. But many are not. All situations are different especially if you are self employed. Don’t leave money on the table at any school. Free money is good money regardless what it is called.

Non-residents | Financial Aid | University of Michigan.

About 40% oos families get financial aid from this quick search.

I am not seeing the 40% on that page?

ETA: I see it on this page, and would expect this includes OOS students who receive federal financial aid including direct student loans, as well as those who might receive institutional aid.

Adding that students from Michigan’s college access org partners likely receive relatively more aid than an OOS student not affiliated with a CBO/access org. Community-Based Organizations – Office of Culture, Community and Equity (OCCE)

Yep. That was the source. Regardless, many never apply for FA since they don’t think they qualify. Michigan runs like a private college. I know many families that you would assume are “doing well” get FA oos at Michigan. Their parameters are different.

Also, if students do get it Michigan really tries to help all 4 years and with things like study svrid. Ince your accepted they will bend over backwards to try to help their student’s.

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