Financial Aid

��-Dearborn named an Opportunity University

stuxbury — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 11:18:27 +0000

��-Dearborn named an Opportunity University stuxbury Mon, 07/21/2025 - 07:18

At ��-Dearborn, 50% of students are Pell-eligible. The university has the second lowest tuition among the state's 15 public universities and ranks No. 4 for student earnings after graduation.

As a result of numbers like these, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education recently named ��-Dearborn a top-tier “Opportunity University” through their new Student Access and Earnings Classification. ��-Dearborn is one of four public Michigan universities on this list, along with Central Michigan University, Ferris State University and ��-Flint.

The Student Access and Earnings Classification is based on data from universities across the U.S. indicating the degree of access for students from lower socioeconomic and historically underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds, as well as the wages of Pell-eligible students eight years after enrolling. Here's the methodology.

Annesha Hardy

Annesha Hardy, a Fall 2024 alum who majored in marketing, said she’s not surprised to hear this news — it reflects her story. Hardy, a Pell-eligible student who grew up in Detroit’s Warrendale neighborhood, landed a technical business developer role at Amazon Web Services in Seattle immediately after graduation. “Growing up, you hear the phrase ‘dream big’ — but that’s hard to do when you live in an environment that’s disadvantaged and you don’t know what’s possible for you,” Hardy said. “The people at ��-Dearborn are focused on helping you learn how to do that — and then work to reach what that means to you.”

Hardy — who noted that Amazon was impressed by the AI knowledge she gained through her College of Business curriculum — said that, from the beginning of her educational journey until her graduation, people were there to help. She had mentors from student organizations, like Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Hardy received career coaching and sought internships through Career Services. And, right before graduation when Hardy struggled with financial hardship, ��-Dearborn staff members connected her to a scholarship opportunity. “I was working almost full time and going to school full time, but it wasn’t enough. I was running out of resources. When I shared with Dean of Students Amy Finley that I was worried, she told me about the Edward J. Bagale Difference Makers Scholarship — it couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Hardy, who was a 2024 ��-Dearborn Difference Maker.

When it comes to the accessibility part of the Opportunity University designation, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Melissa Stone said ��-Dearborn’s accessibility and affordability mission is affirmed through the data that the Carnegie Foundation reviewed.

To increase access, the university reworked its financial aid program in 2021 to open doors for more students. The ��-Dearborn Go Blue Guarantee Program, which offers free or reduced tuition to high achieving students from low-income situations, started in 2021. And, in 2025, GBG expanded the scholarship to students whose families make up to $125,000 a year.

“There is immense value in education. There’s the critical thinking skills you gain that will be beneficial to you throughout your life. Education opens doors for career and increased earning opportunities,” Stone said. Among people ages 22 to 27, the average median income in the U.S. is $60,000 for someone with a bachelor’s degree, compared to $36,000 for someone with a high school diploma.

“Looking at lifetime earning numbers, data shows the impact of a college degree can change the trajectory of someone’s life and the lives of people around them. And this extends to their community, region and our state,” Stone adds. And a vast majority of ��-Dearborn students stay in Michigan: 95% of students who accepted employment in 2023-24 remained in the state.

Fatmah Saleh

Alum Fatmah Saleh, a Pell-eligible student who graduated in spring 2025, grew up, went to school and continues to live in Dearborn. Prior to commencement, she accepted a full-time international accounting analyst position at Stellantis. “My degree has helped me build a life where I have a job at a company I care about while living in a community I love. And I’m able to work hybrid, so I have the opportunity to be home with my mom, too,” she said. Saleh, an accounting major, has worked full time since her high school graduation to help support her mom, who has a long-term illness. Saleh is her mom’s caregiver. Her father passed away when she was six.

While the cost of attending ��-Dearborn is among the lowest within Michigan’s public universities, ��-Dearborn grads’ annual earnings are very competitive. According to Student Access and Earnings Classification data, ��-Dearborn Pell grant recipients go on to earn a median income of $57,847, while median earnings in the region are $37,232.

When including both Pell-eligible and non-Pell-eligible students at ��-Dearborn, the average salary earned is just above $62,000, said Career Services Director Laurel Draudt. The Career Services team surveys graduating undergraduate students six months postgraduation for the annual National Association of Colleges and Employers First Destination self-reporting survey.

Both Saleh and Hardy are pleased with the jobs they landed after earning their degrees and the earnings that come with those. They credit ��-Dearborn’s career support offerings — as well as their own tenacity and drive — as instrumental in their achievements. Both had internships that they found after attending career fairs: Hardy at ADP and Amazon, Saleh at Yakuzi and Stellantis.

Draudt says internships are key because employers use them to find top talent, as was the case for Hardy and Saleh. She says ��-Dearborn makes an effort to get the message out to all students to get involved in internship fairs, mentoring programs and resume workshops starting the first year. “The sooner you get involved, the more competitive you will be,” she said. Draudt said Career Services has had 931 interactions with Pell-eligible students since they began recording student interactions in Fall 2022.

The success of the Pell-eligible students they have worked with is reflected in student testimony and the data gathered in the Opportunity University designation. But Draudt wants to do more: “We need to continue getting the word out to our students, many of whom are first in their families to go to college. It’s especially important to reach them because they may not have someone at home to let them know that these opportunities are right here,” she said. Career Services holds internship and job fairs twice a year, and offers job outlook resources that include average salary numbers, networking events, virtual interview coaching and more.

Hardy said ��-Dearborn offers a supportive community that helped build her skill set, resume and confidence. She’s now eyeing graduate school to understand the more technical side of her field.“I’m dreaming big. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my time at ��-Dearborn,” she said. “Getting into ��-Dearborn got me into the rooms — classrooms, interview rooms, board rooms — that changed my life.”

Article by Sarah Tuxbury

Accessibility or Affordability

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Mon, 07/21/2025 - 11:17

New Carnegie designation recognizes schools with high access and post-grad earnings.

Alum Annesha Hardy, pictured above, said she’s not surprised to hear that ��-Dearborn was named an Opportunity University for its work with Pell-eligible students — it reflects her story. Photo by Derek Juntunen

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Athletics are a big driver of Canadian undergraduate enrollment

lblouin — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 13:06:31 +0000

Athletics are a big driver of Canadian undergraduate enrollment lblouin Mon, 07/14/2025 - 09:06

Senior Cadence Pero, an Ontario native who’s one of the captains of the ��-Dearborn Women’s Ice Hockey team, never thought she’d be playing collegiate hockey. In Canada, the competition is stiff for rosters on professional teams or at Canadian universities, and Pero assumed she simply wasn’t good enough or wouldn’t get noticed. But when she was 16 years old and playing in a league in London, she ended up chatting with one of her teammates, who had just signed to play at ��-Dearborn. Following her teammate’s lead, she set up a profile on a recruiting site, where she discovered that she might have a lot more opportunities to play in college than she thought — if she was willing to go to the United States. There were dozens of schools, both in the NCAA’s Division III and in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, the league in which ��-Dearborn plays, that were looking for players.

To her surprise, Pero started getting recruited by several American colleges and reached out to several more, including ��-Dearborn, which showed interest in her. She eventually narrowed it down to ��-Dearborn and Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where her uncle played NCAA Division I golf and her cousin is currently playing golf as well. Pero says ��-Dearborn won out for a few reasons. For one, it’s only two and a half hours from her home, so her family could “be part of this experience with me.” (Pero says her grandparents come to almost every game.) She was also impressed by the athletic and residential facilities. The women’s team had its own locker room and ��-Dearborn had its own rink, so she could practice anytime. And the Union, where many student-athletes from outside the metro area choose to live, had full apartments rather than the one-room dorms and communal bathrooms she was expecting. Pero also says the University of Michigan name carries more weight back in Ontario. “The Michigan degree, that was a big thing for my parents,” she says. “I thought about schools like Indiana Tech. But if you’re going back home with a degree from Michigan or Michigan State, you’re going to have more opportunities.”

One other big factor was affordability. Pero had excellent grades in high school and thus qualified for ��-Dearborn’s merit-based international undergraduate scholarship, which “basically knocks off the out-of-state fees.” Women’s Ice Hockey Head Coach Carrie Sirola says that’s something she hears a lot from her Canadian players. “We’re not able to offer them athletic scholarships, but the international scholarship that ��-Dearborn offers, which is based on high school GPA, can make a huge difference,” Sirola says. “So if a kid has a 4.0, I know they're going to get $12,500 a year. I can tell them, if you want to play, you’re going to get a fair bit of financial aid here.” Sirola says that scholarship — along with the high level of hockey that the women’s team is earning a reputation for — has been a big reason she can now court more Canadian players. Back when the team was founded in 2019 and Sirola was an assistant coach, she says the team was filling the roster mostly with student-athletes from the metro Detroit area. But she could foresee that building the team would likely require recruiting in Canada. “I would be doing recon on our opponents and every single team in the U.S. now has Canadian kids,” she says. This past year, ��-Dearborn’s team featured 14 Canadians and 10 Americans — the first year the team has had a Canadian majority. Because of the scholarship, Sirola says she’s started to become more “particular” about who she recruits. “I’ve started to mostly recruit kids who have a 3.0 or higher, because I know we’re going to be able to offer them financial aid,” she says.

Sirola says her recruitment doesn’t always resemble how it’s often portrayed in movies or TV, where eager coaches come watch from the sidelines and make a pitch to kids and parents. For starters, Sirola says most of her recruitment activity is online now. Athletes use recruiting websites or YouTube to upload their highlight reels, and if there’s a mutual interest, a lot of the subsequent communication happens via email before the students come for a tour. Interestingly, Sirola says a lot of the Canadian players who end up on the roster actually find her rather than the other way around. She says this is largely due to a substantial supply and demand problem: Because hockey is so popular in Canada, there are simply more players in Canada, especially at the mid-level talent band, than there are spots on Canadian college rosters. So college-bound students who want to keep playing find they have many more opportunities if they reach out to teams in the U.S., where hockey isn’t as popular but college teams are more plentiful. “Occasionally, I’ll find a kid and reach out to them. But it’s going to be harder to get them to come because they’re going to have offers from other coaches,” Sirola says. “I find it’s easier for me to sign kids that really want to come here.”

That an American university close to the Canadian border would be drawing hockey players from Canada, where hockey is a national obsession, isn’t all that surprising. But Craig Cotter, head coach of the ��-Dearborn Baseball team, says a lot of Sirola’s experience rings true for him, too. Cotter and his assistant coaches started to notice more Canadians on their opponents’ rosters, and so they started scouting Canadian kids on recruiting sites. A couple guys from the coaching staff even attended some combines in Canada to scout potential recruits in person. This year, ��-Dearborn had three Canadians on the roster — including a first-year student who Cotter says was the standout player for the team. Cotter says the selling points that seem to be drawing hockey players are pretty similar for his players: Ontario kids like that ��-Dearborn is just across the border (although one of his players came all the way from Alberta); students love the accommodations at the Union; and the international undergraduate scholarship makes the out-of-state tuition much more affordable for students who did well in high school. Interestingly, the supply and demand dynamic that brings hockey players to the U.S. works a little differently for baseball, though it still seems to benefit American colleges. “Baseball in Canada is just not that big a deal compared to a sport like hockey,” Cotter says. “So kids at that sort of mid-talent level, if they want to keep playing through their college years, are going to find way more opportunities in the U.S.”

��-Dearborn doesn’t keep stats on countries of origin for its student-athletes. But using some back-of-the-envelope math, athletics seems to be driving undergraduate enrollment from Canada, which is now the university’s second-largest source for undergrads, and very close to overtaking the top spot, now held by India. Francisco Lopez, ��-Dearborn’s director of international affairs, says there were 26 Canadian undergraduate students enrolled in 2024-25. So adding Sirola’s 14, Cotter’s three, and the five Canadian student-athletes on the men’s ice hockey team, it’s safe to say that athletes account for the large majority of Canadian undergraduates. Which begs the question: Will the university continue to experience growth in this area? Cotter and Sirola aren’t bullish about that forecast, at least for their teams. One thing that’s on both their minds: the current exchange rate. The Canadian dollar has fallen to its lowest level in a decade relative to the U.S. dollar (right now, it’s 72 cents), which puts Canadian families at a disadvantage when paying for college. Because of this, Sirola says she’s thinking of shifting her recruiting focus away from Canada and to communities in Michigan outside of the metro area. (Interestingly, she says she has trouble recruiting kids in the territory where most of ��-Dearborn’s undergrads hail from.) Meanwhile, Cotter is looking to recruit more out-of-state students, especially in southern states, where baseball can be a year round sport and there is a lot of mid-level talent. As with his Canadian athletes, he says his best recruiting tool is often an academic scholarship the university offers to high-achieving high school graduates from out of state. “The Michigan degree is desirable throughout the country,” Cotter says. “So I’m hopeful we’re going to get kids that, yes, want to keep playing, but come for that degree.”

###

Story by Lou Blouin

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Mon, 07/14/2025 - 13:05

Canada is now the university’s second-largest source for international undergraduate students. Sports are often the draw. But coaches say academic scholarships are greasing the wheels.

With stiff competition in Canada, Ontario native Cadence Pero never thought she'd be playing collegiate hockey. She found many more opportunities on the American side of the border. Photo by Annie Barker

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Why Should You File the FAFSA?

jpow — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 19:38:09 +0000

Why Should You File the FAFSA? jpow Fri, 10/21/2022 - 15:38

A college education is one of the first big investments most young adults make in their professional careers. And with all the talk surrounding student debt looming, it’s important to ensure that you choose a school that offers an education that fits into your budget and pays off in the long run — thankfully, our students graduate with the second-lowest amount of student loan debt and the second-highest average starting salary among 15 Michigan public universities.

Along your application process, you’re probably constantly reminded to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, more commonly referred to as the FAFSA. And though you might be experiencing application fatigue, this is an important one.

The FAFSA is an essential step in understanding how to make college affordable for you. Not only will you learn how much federal aid you qualify for, you’ll also discover scholarship opportunities and unique aid programs developed specifically by your colleges of choice. As a Dearborn Wolverine, filing the FAFSA can unlock a host of opportunities for financial support. Learn more about three of them here:

Go Blue Guarantee
For years, University of Michigan has demonstrated its commitment to academic excellence at an affordable rate for high-achieving students in need through the Go Blue Guarantee. Now, ��-Dearborn students are eligible, too! The Go Blue Guarantee promises free tuition for standout students from low-income households. First step? Complete the FAFSA to determine your financial need.

Scholarships
��-Dearborn offers a range of scholarships, whether you’re a first-year student, transferring from another university or a graduate student pursuing your master’s degree. While most scholarships provide financial support to high-achieving students based on merit, many at our university still require you to file the FAFSA.

Work-Study
Securing employment on campus is a great way to earn money while earning your degree. It’s also a failsafe way to get to know university systems and meet fellow students whose interests align with your own. You guessed it — you’ll need to complete the FAFSA to determine whether you demonstrate the financial need to qualify for a federal Work Study program.

Learn more about the various types of aid available at ��-Dearborn. And when you’re ready, file your FAFSA to determine what you’re eligible for!

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Fri, 10/21/2022 - 19:38

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Financial aid advisors are available for both in-person and remote appointments to help you determine the financial aid opportunities that you may qualify for.

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‘What we are doing has lasting effects. I know because I’ve experienced it.’

stuxbury — Mon, 09 May 2022 22:36:59 +0000

‘What we are doing has lasting effects. I know because I’ve experienced it.’ stuxbury Mon, 05/09/2022 - 18:36

Steven Foster is a proud Michigan Wolverine graduate. He recognizes the role that campus’ financial aid advocates had in his educational journey and career success.

“I’m in awe of where I am today based on my foundational experiences — learning about how financial aid could help me reach my goals was one of those,” he said. “I had the grades — I was in the Top 10 in my high school — but not the access. Not everyone is in a situation where their parents can write a check. U-M knows that and has strong advocates in their financial aid office.”

Now Foster is leading ��-Dearborn’s Office of Financial Aid. The financial aid director began in his new role on May 2.

With 17 years in the financial aid field, Foster has worked for higher education institutions including ��-Ann Arbor, Wayne State University, Western Michigan University and Kettering University. At Kettering, his last employer, he directed their financial aid office. He has an undergraduate degree from ��-Ann Arbor, and a graduate degree from Wayne State University.

At his Detroit high school, Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School, Foster focused on business. In undergrad, it was English and writing. As a graduate student, he studied education. Foster said all of these seemingly unrelated pieces have worked well together in helping him connect underrepresented students to resources.

Steven Foster

“It’s important to remember that financial aid is a foreign language if you aren’t familiar with it. It can feel like a labyrinth to navigate as a new student. I remember feeling that and I remember the people who helped me get everything in order,” he said. “The advocates are the ones who go beyond the checklist. They make sure you understand the difference between a loan and a grant in a way that relates to you and the impact those things will have on your life. They let you know about the scholarships you are eligible for and check in to see if you’ve applied. Those are the advocates. Those are the people who are passionate about their work to make a difference in someone's life.”

As someone who relied on financial aid assistance as a young Wolverine, Foster also remembers the type of guidance he needed. He said holistic advising in the financial aid field goes beyond getting a question answered — it’s anticipating needs and next steps.

“Students will ask when their refund is coming. But, as people who have been through it, we need to help them think more holistically. Sure, when the refund is coming is important. It’s also important to think beyond the right now,” he said. “Let them know when the refund is coming, but also remind them that the money needs to be managed to last five months. Have students think about what it needs to cover to reach their educational goals. Some students may be doing that already, but others may still be learning how to budget and plan.”

He said the financial aid field can be stressful when trying to connect people with the opportunities they need while also balancing institutional budgets. But seeing the students he’s worked with walk across the commencement stage keeps him motivated and inspired. Foster said his family, in particular nine-year-old son Steven, also helps him keep focused on what is important.

“We are the stewards to help students and their families achieve an education so they can change their lives from now and into the future for the next generation,” he said.

When it comes to remembering the people who made it happen professionally for him, he said it goes back to his Wolverine roots.

In addition to financial aid mentors, Foster recalls the energy that Tyrone Winfrey Sr., then a ��-Ann Arbor admissions director, brought into his high school classroom. He said the outreach and access from U-M staff changed his life. And, in return, Foster is focused on doing what he can to create educational bridges.

“Coming to ��-Dearborn is like coming home. I’m Go Blue through and through and the mission of our campus is true to my core,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with the entire campus community on access, affordability, and student success initiatives. Because our students’ success is our success, it's a shared responsibility.”

Text by Sarah Tuxbury.

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Mon, 05/09/2022 - 22:36

Wolverine Alumnus Steven Foster joins ��-Dearborn’s campus as the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships director. With nearly 20 years of experience, Foster stepped into his new role on May 2.

Steven Foster. Graphic by Violet Dashi

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Got campus questions? This new service has answers.

stuxbury — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 17:41:50 +0000

Got campus questions? This new service has answers. stuxbury Mon, 08/23/2021 - 13:41

ESS student staff member Logan shows transfer student Hannah Letang how to sign up for study space.

College is a time to learn more about yourself, your interests and build a foundation for the future. To help students focus on that and simplify the business side of university life — from the admissions process to applying for graduation — ��-Dearborn leadership created a new centrally located one-stop service spot.

Located just steps inside the University Center’s main entrance, the Enrollment Student Services team will be available to answer questions people may have about their student accounts, course registration and financial aid. This “One Stop” also offers another way for the ��-Dearborn community to connect students with a variety of campus services and resources.

Enrollment Student Services (ESS) Director Julie Faust said this new approach will get students the answers they need quickly. And, when needed, students can speak more in depth with a staff member familiar with the topic they have questions about. It officially opens on Tuesday, Aug. 31, for Wolverine Welcome Day/Go Blue Bash and students are encouraged to stop by and vote on the official office name.

“We want to connect our students to what they need to know in a fast and friendly way — without them having to go to multiple offices for answers and as a student-focused unit, we want the students' help in naming this exciting new area designed to support them.”

Faust said students can look for the friendly face and maize and blue "Ask Me" button. This staff member will be happy to assist the student and answer their questions. If additional steps are needed to explore the inquiry further, the staff member will introduce the student to an on-site subject matter expert to resolve the issue.

In addition, the ESS staff will help interested students learn how to navigate My ��-Dearborn, the new student portal, so they know where to find important campus announcements, see tasks that they need to complete, schedule appointments, get answers to questions and access key university resources. The staff will be giving portal tutorials during Wolverine Welcome Day.

Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Melissa Stone said the My ��-Dearborn student portal coupled with the development of the shared services model are recent examples of student success-focused advancements at ��-Dearborn. “We have been busy streamlining processes and developing new technology tools all with the goal of improving the way that we serve our students.”

Services will be available both remotely and in person Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. with occasional extended hours. As the academic year progresses, the plan is to offer “pop-up” One Stop services at the Fairlane Center and in other campus locations.

Faust said having a specific point of contact for students to go with their university business inquiries is a customer service game changer.

“It’s all about helping students on their journey in a friendly, insightful way so they want to come to us. In addition to it being efficient, it’s a customer service model that’s less reactive and more proactive because we’re here to answer questions and streamline information to avoid potential challenges. It’s about looking at the student experience holistically.”

For more information about the Enrollment Student Services, email ESS Director Julie Faust.

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Mon, 08/23/2021 - 17:39

Starting Aug. 31, Enrollment Student Services staff will be just steps inside the main University Center entrance to give a friendly hello and answer questions students may have about their accounts, course registration, financial aid and more.

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Financial Aid

������-Dearborn named an Opportunity University

Athletics are a big driver of Canadian undergraduate enrollment

Why Should You File the FAFSA?

‘What we are doing has lasting effects. I know because I’ve experienced it.’

Got campus questions? This new service has answers.

��-Dearborn named an Opportunity University