• Full-time students and students who have not previously received the Bronco Promise award.
• Resident of Michigan, as determined upon admission.
• Have a household Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $50,000 or less and household net assets under $75,000 or less.
• Submit and verify the 2025-26 FAFSA by July 1.
• Participate in WMU’s financial literacy training (Note: participation is not required before student awarding. Students may be notified how to satisfy this requirement after enrollment). 

If a student was awarded and paid the scholarship after their first academic year but does not meet the qualifications for the award in the following academic year, they will become ineligible for the Bronco Promise scholarship. Factors that may contribute to ineligibility include, but are not limited to:

• Any increases to Household Adjusted Gross Income and/or Household Net Assets.
  • If your current financial situation does not reflect the income reported on the current academic year’s FAFSA, please contact Bronco Express at (269) 387-6000 to see if you qualify for a Student Aid Index (SAI) Appeal.
• Satisfactory Academic Progress status.
  • If students are in Unsatisfactory Academic Progress status, they must submit an SAP Appeal with the Financial Aid Office by the required deadline for the award to be applied.
• A lapse in continuous and/or full-time enrollment or changes in residency status.
  • If students are experiencing extreme circumstances not listed above that led to ineligibility, please contact our Scholarships department at @email.

No appeals will be considered for students enrolled in fewer than 12 credits hours per semester, changes in residency status, an award in a summer session or additional semesters of eligibility beyond the 8 semesters allotted. If students are experiencing extreme circumstances not listed above that led to ineligibility, please contact our Scholarships department at @email. 

What does the Bronco Promise cover?

Please see Additional Details (below) for how award amounts are determined.

The Bronco Promise Program begins in the fall semester of the student’s first year of admittance. Students must be enrolled full-time for the award to be paid to their account.

What do I need to do to maintain eligibility once I enroll?

Students may receive the award for up to 8 consecutive semesters, for fall and spring only. While enrolled at WMU, participants must:

• Submit and verify their FAFSA each year by July 1.
• Maintain a family household Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $50,000 or less and net assets under $75,000.
• Accept all federal and state need-based scholarships and grants for which they are eligible.
  • Not including loans offered 
• Accept any offered admissions scholarships and location-based scholarships, such as the Kalamazoo Promise.
• If applicable, accept WMU’s employee tuition benefits program.

The Bronco Promise is a last-dollar scholarship, meaning it will cover tuition and standard fees not covered by all other awards listed on the student’s Financial Aid Award Offer, excluding:

• Federal Work Study
• Loans 
  • Federal Subsidized/Unsubsidized
  • Federal Parent PLUS Loan
  • Private Alternative Loans

If any eligible tuition and fees remain after all other aid has paid, this will be the amount covered by the Bronco Promise. This will be applied to your award offer after the add-drop period of each semester (also known as “Census”). 

If the total amount of your financial aid award offer exceeds your total tuition and fee balance, you will not receive the Bronco Promise for that semester. We will review students’ eligibility each semester and apply the Bronco Promise whenever applicable.

Admissions-based awards at WMU include:
Director's Scholarship
President’s Academic Excellence Scholarship
Books for Broncos
Brown and Gold Scholarship
Bronco Honors Scholarship
Bronco Merit Scholarship
Bronco Recognition Scholarship
Bronco Success
Detroit Promise Scholarship
WMU Foundation Scholarship
Grand Rapids Challenge Scholarship
WMU Incentive Scholarship
Seita Scholarship
Medallion Scholarship
MLK GOLD Scholarship
Michigan Youth Scholarship

Tuition-specific institutional awards include:
WMU tuition remission
3+1 WMU FIRST Scholarship
Athletics tuition scholarships
Anthropology Armintrout Scholarship
College of Education & Human Development Bolte Hopkins Scholarship
Communication Culture & Com. SA Award
College of Education & Human Development ELATE Scholarship
Geography TRC Award Scholarship
Statistics Hearron Scholarship
College of Education & Human Development Howard & Mary Pendell Scholarship
College of Education & Human Development John & Bertha Goodman Scholarship
College of Education & Human Development Margaret Isobel Black Scholarship
College of Fine Arts Monsour/Shubeck Scholarship
Chemistry Nanojar Scholarship
College of Education & Human Development Persistence Scholarship
Paper Engineering, Chemical Engineering & Imaging Robert Caine Student Award
Accountancy Rozelle Scholarship
Geosciences Shirley Aiken Scholarship

Tuition-specific external awards include:
Heyl Nursing Scholarship
Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship

Tuition Specific State of Michigan Aid include:
Children of Veterans Tuition Grant
Fostering Futures Scholarship
Michigan Achievement Scholarship
Michigan Competitive Scholarship
Michigan Indian Tuition
Tuition Incentive Program
Police Officer’s and Fire Fighter’s Survivor Tuition Grant

Please note, these lists may not be exhaustive and are subject to change.

The Bronco Promise is a last-dollar tuition program that covers flat-rate tuition and mandatory fees for up to five consecutive years for first-year, first-time, Michigan residents with financial need. Eligible students can receive the award only in the fall and spring semesters. The award is based on the cost of flat-rate tuition (12-15 credit hours), differential tuition for full-time enrollment (if applicable) and mandatory fees.

There is no application required for this scholarship, but the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be completed and verified by Aug. 1, 2025. The award will be renewed each academic year if students continue to demonstrate financial need via the FAFSA and are making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

Eligibility

• Full-time students and students who have not previously received the Bronco Promise award.
• Resident of Michigan, as determined upon admission.
• Have a household Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $50,000 or less and household net assets of $50,000 or less.
• Submit and verify the 2025-26 FAFSA by Aug. 1, 2025.
• Participate in WMU’s financial literacy training. (Note: participation is not required before student awarding. Students may be notified how to satisfy this requirement after enrollment.) 

If a student was awarded and paid the scholarship after their first academic year but does not meet the qualifications for the award in the following academic year, they will become ineligible for the Bronco Promise scholarship. Factors that may contribute to ineligibility include, but are not limited to:

• Any increases to Household Adjusted Gross Income and/or Household Net Assets.
  • If your current financial situation does not reflect the income reported on the current academic year’s FAFSA, please contact Bronco Express at (269) 387-6000 to see if you qualify for a Student Aid Index (SAI) Appeal.
• Satisfactory Academic Progress status
  • If students are in Unsatisfactory Academic Progress status, they must submit an SAP Appeal with the Financial Aid Office by the required deadline for the award to be applied.
• A lapse in continuous enrollment.

No appeals will be considered for students enrolled in fewer than 12 credits hours per semester, changes in residency status, an award in a summer session or additional semesters of eligibility beyond the 8 semesters allotted. If students are experiencing extreme circumstances not listed above that led to ineligibility, please contact our Scholarships department at @email.  

Frequently asked questions

What does the Bronco Promise cover?

What do I need to do to maintain eligibility once I enroll?

Students may receive the award for up to 10 consecutive semesters, for fall and spring semesters only. While enrolled at WMU, participants must:

• Submit and verify their FAFSA each year by July 1. 
• Maintain a family household Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $50,000 or less and net assets of $50,000 or less. 
• Accept all federal and state need-based scholarships and grants offered.
  • Not including loans offered.
• Accept any offered admissions scholarships and location-based scholarships, such as the Kalamazoo Promise, and
• If applicable, accept WMU’s employee tuition benefits program.

The Bronco Promise Program begins in the fall semester of the student’s first year of admittance. To maintain eligibility, participants must be: 

• Enrolled full time in the fall and spring semesters for up to five consecutive years until graduation, and 
• Remain in Satisfactory Academic Progress. 

Additional details

The Bronco Promise is a last-dollar scholarship, meaning it will cover tuition and fees not otherwise covered by the Pell grant; admissions-based awards; tuition-specific awards, both institutional and external awards; and tuition-specific state of Michigan awards.

Admissions-based awards at WMU include:
Director's Scholarship
President’s Academic Excellence Scholarship
Books for Broncos
Brown and Gold Scholarship
Bronco Honors Scholarship
Bronco Merit Scholarship
Bronco Recognition Scholarship
Detroit Promise Scholarship
WMU Foundation Scholarship
Grand Rapids Challenge Scholarship
WMU Incentive Scholarship
Seita Scholarship
Medallion Scholarship
MLK GOLD Scholarship
Michigan Youth Scholarship

Tuition-specific institutional awards include:
WMU tuition remission
3+1 WMU FIRST Scholarship
Athletics tuition scholarships
Anthropology Armintrout Scholarship
College of Education & Human Development Bolte Hopkins Scholarship
Communication Culture & Com. SA Award
College of Education & Human Development ELATE Scholarship
Geography TRC Award Scholarship
Statistics Hearron Scholarship
College of Education & Human Development Howard & Mary Pendell Scholarship
College of Education & Human Development John & Bertha Goodman Scholarship
College of Education & Human Development Margaret Isobel Black Scholarship
College of Fine Arts Monsour/Shubeck Scholarship
Chemistry Nanojar Scholarship
College of Education & Human Development Persistence Scholarship
Paper Engineering, Chemical Engineering & Imaging Robert Caine Student Award
Accountancy Rozelle Scholarship
Geosciences Shirley Aiken Scholarship

Tuition-specific external awards include:
Heyl Nursing Scholarship
Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship

Tuition Specific State of Michigan Aid include:
Children of Veterans Tuition Grant
Fostering Futures Scholarship
Michigan Achievement Scholarship
Michigan Competitive Scholarship
Michigan Indian Tuition
Tuition Incentive Program
Police Officer’s and Fire Fighter’s Survivor Tuition Grant

Please note, these lists may not be exhaustive and are subject to change.