The University of Michigan Shiawassee Advantage

The Cook Family Foundation has a role in four scholarships to the University of Michigan. From them, we offer a scholarship of at least $3,000 to Shiawassee area students who are admitted to the University of Michigan.  For Michigan residents, UM may be your most affordable option and is certainly a great value.  In addition to providing advice and help with the application process, the Foundation is committed to helping students receive scholarships and the maximum amount of financial aid.  Watch this video to learn how and why we work with students:

Scholarships

Four scholarships are available to local students:  the Bruce and Jacqueline Cook Scholarship, the Donald Cook Scholarship, the Kuhlman Family Scholarship and the Cook Family Foundation Scholarships.  In addition, the University of Michigan provides an unparalleled amount of need based financial aid to students from the state of Michigan.

Eligibility:   Any graduating high school senior with  a grade point average of 3.5 or higher from any of the ten high schools serving all or part of Shiawassee County will receive at a minimum one $3,000 scholarship from among the four scholarships connected to the Foundation’s work if they enroll at a U of M campus in Ann Arbor, Flint or Dearborn. These schools include: Byron, Chesaning, Corunna, Durand, Laingsburg, Morrice, New Lothrop, Ovid-Elsie, Owosso, and Perry.  As well, applications are welcome from any Shiawassee County resident who has graduated from any high school, or is a home-school student.  You must complete an application and be accepted to the University of Michigan to be eligible for a scholarship from the Cook Family Foundation.  

Scholarships are available to applicants to any of the colleges at the University of Michigan: Literature Science and the Arts (LS&A); Engineering; Information; Business; Public Policy; Nursing; Kinesiology; Pharmacy; Public Health; Dental Hygiene; Education; Music, Theater & Dance; Architecture & Urban Planning; and Art & Design, including UM-Dearborn or UM-Flint.

How to Apply:  Students from the Shiawassee County area  that are interested in attending the University of Michigan need to apply for a Cook Family Foundation scholarship. Talk to your high school counselor, contact us for assistance, and fill out the scholarship application (click here) online. You must complete an application to be eligible for a scholarship.

Foundation Scholarships:  At a minimum, any Shiawassee County resident enrolled in the University of Michigan is awarded one $3,000 scholarship from among the four scholarships connected to the Foundation’s work in addition to any financial aid. Scholarships are available to students with a GPA of 3.5 or greater who have been admitted to any University of Michigan campus, including Ann Arbor, UM-Dearborn or UM-Flint.

In all cases, the Foundation works directly with students and the University of Michigan to determine how to maximize the benefit of financial aid and scholarships, including those from other sources.  Some students choose to defer their scholarship for use in future semesters.

The Donald Cook Scholarship:  The Cook Family Foundation was established by Donald Cook, a 1924 graduate of the University of Michigan.  In his honor, the University annually awards a four-year scholarship (amount varies based on need) to a student from the Shiawassee region who is enrolled in the UM College of Literature, Science & the Arts (LS&A) in Ann Arbor. Financial need is considered in awarding this scholarship.  Any scholarship applicant from the Shiawassee County area who has applied to the LS&A school in Ann Arbor is automatically considered for this award.

Jordan Bannan

Bruce and Jacqueline Cook Scholarship:  Each year students are nominated for this four-year, full-tuition scholarship for an undergraduate degree to the University of Michigan. The scholarship award is based on three primary criteria:

  • Academic success in high school
  • Leadership
  • Promise for future success


Students are nominated for this scholarship program, based on their GPA and SAT scores. Nominated students will be contacted by the Foundation in the late summer before their senior year. (If you were not nominated, and want to be considered, please fill out our application HERE and note your SAT and/or ACT score as well as your GPA.) 

  • Applications deadline: November 1
  • Award notification:  late  January

Applications are then reviewed by a committee which selects five finalists and are then invited for personal interviews.

Kuhlman Family Scholarship:  since 2022 the Kuhlmans have worked with the Foundation and the University of Michigan to identify and provide one or more scholarships from the Bruce and Jacqueline Cook Scholarship nominees, utilizing the same criteria as noted above.


University of Michigan Admission Process:  The Foundation provides all interested students with assistance in the admission process.  When possible, we try to arrange for visits to UM campuses. We also provide online and virtual connections to UM resources. Applicants are encouraged to contact Yvette Collard or Tom Cook.  We are happy to discuss college searches, the UM admission process, and scholarship opportunities with students and their parents.  We work closely with high school counselors and UM officials.  Our goal is to help any interested student find a way to a University of Michigan degree; there are several pathways.

UM Scholarships and Financial Aid:  The University of Michigan provides more need-based financial aid than any other college or university in the State. For students whose families earn less than $125,000 and have assets below $125,000 the University promises four years of free tuition with the Go Blue Guarantee at any of its three campuses.  UM also provides financial assistance to many needy  students with higher incomes.  Michigan residents who complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and the CSS Profile are promised financial assistance to make up the difference between their demonstrated need and the cost of attendance. In addition, applicants will become eligible for many of the substantial U of M merit-based scholarships as well.  Each year many Shiawassee area students receive merit other scholarships from UM and/or significant financial aid awards that make the University of Michigan affordable.  For all students, Money Magazine ranks UM as the top public university on its list of Best Value schools because of its in-state tuition discount, generous financial aid, and economic success of its graduates.

Recognition:  We are proud of student success and accomplishments.  The Cook Family Foundation presents its scholarships in person at high school honors events.  Enrolled UM students are also recognized at our annual U of M Scholarship Awards event(s) each year.

Twitter: Follow us @GoBlueGoBruce for the latest information.

Questions?

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for answers about our scholarship process and applying to the University of Michigan.

  • Read Testimonials from some of the students we have worked with.
  • Visit the UM Admissions website for information on the Common Application (where you can apply to one or all UM locations), requirements, deadlines, and insights into this world-class university.
  • Take a virtual tour of the campus and find other online resources:
    UM-Ann Arbor, UM-Flint, or UM-Dearborn.
  • Learn more about Financial Aid from the University of Michigan by heading to the Financial Aid tab of the campus location you are interested in.
  • To help with important information and steps along your application process, we’ve compiled a
    UM Applicant Recommended Timeline.


For assistance, please contact us.