The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees today approved two new scholarship initiatives. The Transfer UP-Winter Awards will support students who wish to enroll at NMU for the Winter 2021 semester, which begins Jan. 19. A new $1 million U.P. scholarship fund is also being developed to assist freshmen and transfer students from the Upper Peninsula entering NMU in Fall 2021.
The one-time Transfer UP-Winter Awards apply to Michigan residents in three categories of students who begin at Northern in January. First-year students who qualified for NMU scholarships for Fall 2020, but did not enroll, will receive either the previously approved amount or the Transfer UP award of $1,000, whichever is higher. Michigan transfer students who enroll for the first time at NMU this winter will receive a $1,000 bonus. Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society community college students will receive the $1,000 Transfer UP Award, in addition to NMU's standard PTK award of $500 per semester, for a total of $1,500 for Winter 2021.
“In the midst of fluctuating circumstances related to the COVID-19 virus, students had to make decisions about college this fall that, for various reasons, perhaps didn't align with their first choice,” said NMU Admissions Director Gerri Daniels. “We're trying to offer support during this challenging time and assist those students who would like to enroll at Northern next semester.”
The NMU board also approved a new perpetual $1 million scholarship fund to assist prospective U.P. students and their families. The fund recognizes the challenges many U.P. families face and provides support for attaining a great education close to home. The details of the new fund will be finalized by the first board meeting in 2021.
“We are so excited to build a program that will give students of the Upper Peninsula and their families assistance that will give them a solid jump start on funding their college experience,” said NMU President Fritz Erickson. “The awards are planned to help minimize other challenges that might slow their educational progress.”