LANSING, Mich. (April 17, 2025) – Yesterday, Sen. Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo) joined Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) in announcing an exciting contest for students who complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the first time. The new Ticket to Tuition sweepstakes encourages Michigan residents enrolling in college for the first time, especially high school seniors, to complete the FAFSA and lower the cost of college. By filling out the FAFSA, students can gain access to valuable financial aid opportunities such as the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and Community College Guarantee, programs that Sen. McCann helped champion in the state Legislature.
“College and skills training are keys to economic prosperity, which is why state financial aid opportunities such as the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and the Community College Guarantee are vital to Michigan families,” said Sen. McCann. “It is critical that we do all we can to encourage students to complete the FAFSA and understand the financial aid they have earned through their academic careers so they can make informed decisions about their future.”
The nearly $1 million in funds available for the Ticket to Tuition contest are a result of larger efforts spearheaded by Sen. McCann to help lower the cost of college and expand access to higher education statewide. In the 2025 state budget, Sen. McCann was instrumental in securing $330 million for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, a bipartisan scholarship program that helps lower the cost of community, private, or public college by thousands of dollars a year — up to $27,500 over five years — for most graduating seniors statewide. Sen. McCann also helped champion the Community College Guarantee, a new program that expands access to free community college for all students in every part of the state by helping cover tuition costs for Michigan high school graduates while they work toward an associate degree or skilled certificate at a state-based community college.
To enter the Ticket to Tuition sweepstakes: Complete the FAFSA and text CASH to 855-50K-TICKET by 11:59 p.m. Friday, May 16, 2025. To be eligible, participants must be Michigan residents who completed the FAFSA for the first-time to use during the 2025-26 academic year.
Prizes will be awarded in Michigan Education Savings Program accounts, which can be used for a variety of qualified educational expenses such as tuition and fees, living expenses, and computers and textbooks. Forty winners will receive $10,000 and ten winners will receive $50,000. Visit TicketToTuition.com for more contest details.
“Filling out your FAFSA can help you save thousands of dollars on your education and with today’s sweepstakes, you can also enter to win up to $50,000 for your education expenses,” said Gov. Whitmer. “Since I took office, we have made record, bipartisan investments to drive down the cost of earning a degree or skills certificate, and I’m proud that a majority of graduating seniors are now eligible to lower or completely eliminate their college tuition. As we continue working together to save Michiganders money, I encourage all high school seniors who want to go to community, private, or public college to fill out their FAFSA, save thousands of dollars while attending school, and enter to win our sweepstakes!”
Students and families can complete the FAFSA online by visiting FAFSA.gov or by submitting a paper form. Recent updates to the application include reducing the number of questions to 36 from the previous 108, allowing for a more streamlined process. Most students and families can complete the application in less than 15 minutes.
“Michigan College Access Network is committed to increasing the number of students who access and complete college, and the Ticket to Tuition Sweepstakes is another way we are working to incentivize more students to explore postsecondary options,” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, executive director of the Michigan College Access Network. “We want graduating seniors and their families to know that the FAFSA is the key to unlocking federal, state, and institutional financial aid, and now, completing it can give them the chance to win up to $50,000 to help with their future educational expenses.”
