Financial aid · nonresident undergraduates
Financial Aid and Scholarships for Out-of-State Students at U-M
At an estimated cost of attendance of $88,394 for a first-year nonresident in 2026–27, very few families pay the University of Michigan out-of-state price from savings alone. This guide explains what kinds of help are open to nonresidents, which forms to file and when, and how to read the aid you are offered. The numbers behind the cost are in our University of Michigan out-of-state tuition overview.
What the university says about nonresident aid
The Office of Financial Aid is direct about the difference. For Michigan residents, it commits to meeting the demonstrated financial need of undergraduates who meet all application deadlines. For nonresidents, its guidance is that institutional need-based aid is available, and that scholarships from U-M schools and colleges or private sources may help cover the rest. Nonresidents and residents who do not qualify for need-based aid are pointed toward departmental and private scholarships and supplemental loans.
| Program or policy | Michigan residents | Nonresidents |
|---|---|---|
| Need-based institutional grants | Yes | Yes, if eligible |
| Commitment to meet full demonstrated need | Yes, if deadlines are met | No published commitment |
| Go Blue Guarantee (free tuition, income and assets up to $125,000) | Yes, if eligible | No |
| School and college scholarships | Yes | Yes |
| Federal aid (Pell Grant, Direct Loans, Work-Study) | Yes, if eligible | Yes, if eligible |
| Parent PLUS and private loans | Yes | Yes |
How your need is calculated
U-M calculates demonstrated need as the cost of attendance for one academic year minus your Student Aid Index (SAI) and other financial resources. For a nonresident, the starting cost is much higher, so the same family will show far more need on paper than it would as a Michigan resident. The catch is that the university is not committed to filling that need for nonresidents.
Worked example (hypothetical family)
- Nonresident cost of attendance, lower division, 2026–27$88,394
- Minus a Student Aid Index of, say, $30,000−$30,000
- Demonstrated need$58,394
As a Michigan resident the same family would start from $40,194 and show $10,194 of need, which U-M commits to meet. As a nonresident, how much of the $58,394 is covered depends on the aid office’s available funds and on any scholarships the student earns.
The forms and codes
- FAFSA, using U-M Ann Arbor’s federal school code 002325. This puts you in line for federal programs such as the Pell Grant, the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Direct Loans and Work-Study.
- CSS Profile, using U-M’s CSS code 1839. This is needed to be considered for U-M grants and merit scholarships that take need into account. It opens on October 1 each year and is completed only in your entering year; after that, the FAFSA alone is used to reapply. The College Board offers fee waivers to qualifying students.
- Both parents’ information. U-M uses information from both parents regardless of marital status when awarding its own grants. If your parents are divorced, separated or never married, the noncustodial parent is asked to complete the CSS Profile Household B section unless a waiver is granted.
- My Scholarship Profile in Wolverine Access, which is how you are considered for scholarships across the university.
Deadlines for students entering in the fall
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| November 15 | Financial aid deadline for Early Decision applicants |
| December 15 | Suggested filing date for Early Action and Regular Decision; earlier filers who are admitted get a preliminary package sooner |
| March 1 | Financial aid deadline for Early Action and Regular Decision applicants |
| May 1 | Enrollment deposit due to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions |
The aid office warns that a rejected FAFSA, most often because of a missing student or parent signature, can cause you to miss the March 1 deadline. Do not wait for an admission decision before applying for aid.
Scholarships worth pursuing
Because nonresidents do not have a full-need guarantee, scholarships carry more weight in the out-of-state budget. Three places to look:
- U-M schools and colleges. Individual schools award scholarships based on merit, need or both. Ask the school you are applying to which awards consider nonresidents and whether a separate application is needed.
- Your home state. The aid office encourages nonresidents to check whether their home state has grant programs that can be used at out-of-state schools.
- Private scholarships. Employer, community and national awards all count toward your resources. Note that if total grants and scholarships including a U-M source exceed your cost of attendance, U-M may reduce its share.
Loans: the last layer
Federal Direct Loans come first for eligible students. Beyond that, nonresident families commonly use the Federal Direct PLUS Loan for parents and private education loans, both of which require separate applications. Federal loan limits apply, so check current amounts at studentaid.gov before you count on borrowing to close the gap. Borrowing on the scale of the nonresident gap, around $48,000 a year compared with in-state tuition, is a serious long-term commitment and worth modeling over four years before you enroll.
What this means for you
Run the university’s Net Price Calculator before applying, file both aid forms on time even if you expect little need-based help, and compare final offers side by side. A strong scholarship from another school can change the math far more than any small saving on housing.
Can you switch to in-state rates later?
Some families hope to pay nonresident rates for a year and then reclassify. Under U-M’s guidelines, being enrolled as a student, living in Michigan for a year or more, or holding a Michigan driver’s license does not on its own show permanent residence, and dependent students whose parents live elsewhere are presumed to be nonresidents. Read how residency classification works before building a plan around it, and see the in-state vs out-of-state comparison for what the difference is worth.
Official contact
Office of Financial Aid, University of Michigan: 734-763-6600. These are the university’s official contact details. For costs by program, see our tuition by school and college tables.