Dependent Tuition Scholarship Program Guidelines

Overview

Beginning with the Fall 2020 semester, the UM-Flint offers a scholarship for those qualified dependents of employees from all four campuses; Flint, Ann Arbor, Dearborn and the UM Medical Center. Formally known as the Dependent Child Tuition Scholarship, the program has been expanded to be inclusive of a wider array of dependents. 

Four types of individuals are eligible for the Dependent Tuition Scholarship: 

  • IRS-dependent children of faculty/staff 
  • Spouses 
  • Other Qualified Adults (OQAs) 
  • IRS-dependent children of OQAs 

These dependents must be associated with a regular (not temporary) part-time or full-time staff/faculty at the University of Michigan (at a 50% or higher appointment). This scholarship is restricted to Michigan residents who are U.S. citizens/permanent residents. Michigan residency is defined by the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. 

Qualified dependents shall be allowed to enroll in any undergraduate course at UM-Flint, for which they have the appropriate prerequisites, for those courses in a program leading to the first baccalaureate degree. 

For the purposes of the UM-Flint Dependent Tuition Scholarship Program, “dependent” is defined to include IRS-dependent children* and IRS-dependent children* of spouses or OQAs living in the home of the unit member and spouses or Other Qualified Adult (based on benefits eligibility guidelines) for UM-Flint Employees only. “Dependent” for the purposes of those employees of UM-Ann Arbor, UM-Dearborn and the UM Health System does not include spouses and/or OQAs. 

  • Dependents of UM-Flint faculty/staff receive a 50% scholarship for tuition. The number of scholarships available for spouse/OQA are limited to 15 recipients per year; Spring through Winter semesters 
  • Eligible dependents (children only) of UM-Ann Arbor, UM-Dearborn, or UM Medical System faculty/staff receive a 20% scholarship for tuition 

* Typically “IRS-dependent” has been interpreted to include only those dependents listed on the staff or faculty member’s annual tax return. As part of the modification of this program, the University of Michigan-Flint may accept other form(s) of proof of dependency including appearance (or eligibility to appear) on the staff or faculty member’s benefits through the University of Michigan or original, certified birth certificate (bearing the appropriate seal). Additional supporting documentation may be required. Other forms will be considered on a case by case basis.

Eligibility

  1. Eligibility begins on the employee’s first day of regular employment with the UM system. Dependents will only be able to apply for the scholarship for semesters/terms that begin after the employee’s first day of regular employment. No scholarships will be awarded retroactively. 
  1. If a faculty or staff member separates employment (voluntarily or involuntarily) prior to the first day of the semester, the University reserves the right to revoke and/or not award the dependent’s scholarship. If the employee separates employment after the above deadline, the scholarship will continue through the end of that semester. 
  1. If at any time it is determined that a dependent fails to qualify pursuant to the aforementioned requirements, i.e. divorce, separation resulting in two separate households, etc., the dependent may become ineligible for the scholarship in future semesters. If the event happens after the first day of the semester, the scholarship will continue through that current semester. 
  1. In the event of the death of the employee during the time when a UM-Flint dependent is currently enrolled and actively participating in this scholarship, the scholarship shall continue to allow the student to complete the degree or certificate program in which they are enrolled provided that they maintain eligibility and current, continuous enrollment in that program. 
  1. Dependents of retired faculty and staff are not eligible for this scholarship. 
  1. The scholarship will be terminated at any time the student fails to meet the requirements of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

The Dependent Tuition Scholarship application allows for up to 3 semesters to be selected for use as outlined on the application. In order to maintain eligibility, the student must submit a new application for subsequent semesters/terms (if applying for individual semesters or terms) and/or subsequent years (Summer through Winter) if applying annually.

Terms & Conditions

  1. Dependents are required to apply for this scholarship through the UM-Flint Human Resources Office. Applications must be submitted by the deadline(s) on the form. Eligibility is determined and verified on a semester basis. 
  1. Courses taken under the dependent tuition scholarship program may be taken on a matriculated basis. The participant shall meet all degree admission and eligibility requirements of the University in effect at the time of enrollment. Guest students and dual-enrolled students are not eligible for dependent tuition scholarships. Only students who are enrolled in degree-seeking programs at the University of Michigan-Flint may be considered. 
  1. The dependent scholarship will be applied to tuition only. All other fees and costs are the responsibility of the student. 
  1. The value of the scholarship will be determined and applied after the official enrollment is established per the Registrar’s Office on the add/drop deadline. An estimated award amount may be reflected on the student’s financial aid package prior to the actual award being applied. There are no limits on the number of dependent children that may receive this award. However, the number of scholarships available for spouses and OQAs will be limited to 15 per year (Spring through Winter). The scholarships are available on a first come, first served basis based upon application submission date. 
  1. The applied dependent tuition scholarship precedes any other institutional scholarship or grant aid awarded to the participant. Institutional scholarships of greater value or that offer greater flexibility in terms will supersede the UM-Flint Dependent Tuition Scholarship Program. Please note that new students who qualify for freshman merit scholarships may have to choose between either receipt of the merit scholarship or the dependent tuition scholarship.
  1. Participants may receive the dependent tuition scholarship in a program leading to the first baccalaureate degree up to the minimum number of credits required for the degree less any credits transferred in from another source, including early college, dual-enrolled, other institutions, etc. This dependent scholarship program will not apply toward graduate degree credits. This includes combined programs such as BBA/MBA joint degrees. There is no limit to the number of credits that may be covered by this scholarship in a given semester Fall, Winter, or Summer). In the event that a student changes a major and the number of credits required in the new major is greater than in the previous major, this additional number of minimum credits would be covered. If the number of credits required was less, a student would not be required to “pay back” a difference in credits already taken. Confirmation of exact credits for a particular degree may be obtained at the Registrar’s Office and may be subject to change. 
  1. Students nearing the threshold for the minimum number of credit hours to complete their degree will receive tuition scholarship funds up to the minimum number of credit hours towards their degree. This could result in partial payment of a semester. 
  1. Participating students shall be subject to all academic and non-academic policies governing students at UM-Flint. 
  2. In the event this program is discontinued, students admitted while it was in effect shall be covered by its provision until the end of the semester.

Process for Consideration

In addition to applying for admission and being accepted to the University of Michigan-Flint in a degree-seeking program, the student must submit the University of Michigan-Flint Dependent Tuition Scholarship application accompanied by the required supporting documentation to verify the dependent status of the student by the stated deadlines.

For verification of the eligibility of a child, the following documents are acceptable: 

  • the family’s most recent federal tax form showing the child’s dependent status 
  • or, if there is a reason that the child cannot be claimed as a dependent on the family’s federal tax return, the university may consider other means of verification on a case by case basis.

For verification of the eligibility of a spouse/OQA, the following documents are acceptable:

  • Faculty/Staff member provides medical benefits for the spouse/OQA 
  • or, the OQA appears on the family’s most recent tax form as a dependent (most recent shall be indicated on the application) 
  • or, copy of a certified marriage certificate 
  • verification that the OQA qualifies as eligible under Section 152 of the IRS Code for the most recent tax year (most recent shall be indicated on the application)
    • Additional details regarding this requirement may be found on the University of Michigan’s Declaration of Tax Status for Other Qualified Adult form with Human Resources