The University of Michigan will expand its Wolverine Pathways program to five new sites, as part of a larger effort to bolster existing programs and launch important new ones in support of increased access, opportunity and success for all students.
The Wolverine Pathways program provides free college prep instruction for seventh through 12th grade students in Detroit, the Southfield Public and Ypsilanti Community school districts and several partner schools in Grand Rapids.
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It has successfully supported 1,554 students since its inception in 2016 and, with the expanded locations, will for the first time begin serving rural communities in Michigan, including in the Upper Peninsula. Site locations and further details will be announced in the coming months.
“Our commitment to supporting people from all backgrounds and perspectives remains steadfast; and, moving forward, we will continue to improve our programs in ways that empower people to achieve their greatest potential,” said President Santa J. Ono, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Laurie K. McCauley and Vice President for Student Life Martino Harmon in a message to the Ann Arbor campus and Michigan Medicine.
“This is the first major step we’re taking to deliver on the public commitment the university made last month to increase investments in student-facing programs and direct our resources to initiatives that have the greatest impact.”
As part of its enhanced efforts, the university will begin covering the full cost of attendance, including housing and fees, for eligible undergraduate students who qualify for free tuition through the Go Blue Guarantee, commit to a career in nursing or education as they attend the School of Nursing or the Marsal Family School of Education, beginning in the fall of 2025.
Eligible students who received the Go Blue Guarantee as undergraduates and who are accepted into the master’s program at the School of Social Work starting in the fall of 2025 will receive a new “Graduate Guarantee,” covering all costs, including tuition, housing and fees. Together, these investments are meant to support students and address the critical shortage of nurses, teachers and social workers both state- and nationwide.
A new campus-wide program, modeled on a successful disability navigator pilot program in LSA, will begin this fall and provide personalized assistance to faculty and staff navigating the university’s accommodation process. Students will continue to access support through the existing Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services.
Several existing programs will also be expanded, including the Center for Educational Outreach, which provides support and resources to under-resourced schools across the state; M-Connect, which serves prospective and current U-M transfer students from partner community colleges; First Gen Gateway, which supports first-generation students at U-M; and Success Connects, which provides one-on-one professional coaching, tutoring, peer mentoring and monthly workshops for all students at U-M. A new vice provost for access and opportunity will oversee and track the effectiveness of each aspect of the effort.
The university in March announced it would close the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Office for Health Equity and Inclusion, shift student-facing services to other offices and increase investments to more directly and effectively support students. “With these new and expanded programs, we are following through on our commitment and are reallocating funds in a way we believe will be more impactful,” Ono said.
Advisory groups, assembled by Student Life, will make recommendations and plan for expanded mental health resources and student life programs to be available to students in the 2025-26 academic year. Student spaces, including the Trotter Multicultural Center, the Spectrum Center and various multicultural spaces in residence halls, remain open to all students.
Cultural and ethnic events — including welcome programs, year-end celebrations, heritage months — will continue to recognize and support the diversity of the university community.
