Scholarships
Scholarships
The ICC offers four different scholarships – the MLK scholarship, the Bridge scholarship, the Solidarity Fund scholarship, and the COVID-19 scholarship. The MLK scholarship deadline for fall/winter 2024 is September 22nd. All other scholarship applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted. For more information on eligibility and award amounts, please see the relevant sections below. For information on payment plans, see this page.
Appeals
Payment plans and scholarships are voted on by the Finance Committee, made up of Board Representatives and Member Assistants from different ICC houses and chaired by the VP of Finance (non-voting). Applicant names and pronouns are redacted and can only seen by the VP of Finance, Finance Department Liaison, and General Manager (payment plans only).
If a member is unsatisfied with the decision that FinCom reaches, they can appeal to the VP of Finance. The VP may request additional documentation or explanation of the applicant’s extenuating circumstances if they believe that applies. The VP may then present the additional information to the Finance Committee for a secondary review.
If the member is unsatisfied with or has a concern about scholarship or payment plan policies, they can request an appointment with the Finance Committee to ask questions or discuss their situation.
If the member remains unsatisfied after exploring these options, they can request a review and consultation with the Board of Directors.
Martin Luther King Scholarship
Purpose: This scholarship is intended to provide monthly assistance for members pursuing educational goals with demonstrated financial need (DFN). See the section ‘MLK – How is DFN Calculated?’ below for more information.
Eligibility: For the Fall/Winter contract period, an applicant must be enrolled for the term that they wish to receive aid. If a member is graduating in December, they would be eligible for the MLK scholarship for the Fall term only. For the Spring/Summer contract period, an applicant must either be enrolled in at least one Spring or Summer term class or have been enrolled in the previous Fall and Winter terms and registered for classes for the upcoming Fall term.
Amount: For 2024-2025, awards range from $40-$260/month based on DFN. In general, the amount you receive will depend on the cost of your tuition, the amount of scholarships/grants you receive, your FAFSA Student Aid Index (or other measure of parent/guardian support for international members & members with special circumstances).
Disbursement: The MLK scholarship is disbursed monthly in the form of credit to the applicant’s Rent Manager account. The award won’t be posted until the contract period has started and the application has been reviewed and approved by the Finance Committee. If an application is approved after the start of the term, retroactive credit will be posted to the member’s account for the previous months (e.g for fall/winter awards announced in mid-October, retroactive credits will be applied for September and October).
Application Details: Fall/Winter applications have closed. For members new to the ICC in the Winter term, limited funding may be available – fill out the application here. Spring/Summer 2025 applications will open in late March.
Bridge Scholarship
Purpose: This scholarship is intended to act as emergency assistance for a member experiencing a one-time unforeseen financial difficulty.
Eligibility: The Bridge scholarship is open to any ICC member, including non-students, who are experiencing a loss of income, a change in ability to generate personal income, or unexpected additional expenses that have interfered with their ability to pay charges. Members are eligible for one Bridge scholarship award per fiscal year (May through April).
Amount: Discretionary, generally $300-$500
Disbursement: The Bridge scholarship is disbursed as a credit to the applicant’s Rent Manager account once the application is reviewed and approved by the Finance Committee.
Application Details: Bridge scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis throughout the year until funds are exhausted. Applications should be filled out alongside a payment plan – the member should include a cover letter explaining their situation, along with their expected ability to pay and the amount they are requesting – the Finance Committee may grant that request or may make a different decision. The Payment Plan application can be found here and the Bridge Scholarship application can be found here.
Solidarity Fund
Purpose: The Solidarity Fund is a mutual aid scholarship program intended to provide aid for members with financial need who don’t qualify for other scholarships offered by the ICC. It is fully funded by member contributions and alumni donations. The default contribution for members is $5 per month – if a member wants to opt up, make a one-time contribution, or opt out, please fill out this form. For alumni/friends of the co-op, the preferred ways to donate are through GoFundMe or JustGiving.
Eligibility: Any current member of the ICC who isn’t currently receiving an MLK scholarship is eligible.
Amount: Up to $120 per term, based on availability of funds and financial need.
Disbursement: Scholarships funded by the Solidarity Fund are awarded as a credit to the recipient’s Rent Manager account.
Application Details: Applications for Solidarity Fund scholarships use the same form as the MLK scholarship. Applications for Winter 2025 will be processed on a rolling basis. Applications for Spring/Summer 2025 will open May 5th, 2025. The MLK/Solidarity Fund application can be found here.
COVID-19 Scholarship
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ICC leaders formed a COVID-19 fundraising group to brainstorm ways to solve our member debt problems due to unforeseen circumstances. On May 5th, 2020, ICC leaders launched a GoFundMe campaign on Giving Tuesday to create this scholarship to provide aid for members affected by the COVID-19 virus.
All applicants must provide proof of a positive COVID-19 test and documentation that shows a direct impact to the member’s income.
Yes, we still have funds! This money has been set aside for this purpose and cannot be used for anything else. If you think you might qualify, please apply here.
The size of an applicant’s grant is based on their “Demonstrated Financial Need” (DFN) and the amount of funds available. An applicant’s DFN is calculated using the various pieces of personal financial information requested in the application (see the section “How is DFN Calculated?” for more information). The maximum grant amount for the 2024-2025 fiscal year (May 2024 through April 2025) is $260 per month. The Finance Committee determines award amounts and cutoffs after receiving all applications for a given term. The formula for Fall/Winter 2025-26 was based on the DFN quartiles for applicants.
| Demonstrated Financial Need (monthly) | Scholarship Award (monthly) |
| Less than or equal to $100 | Not eligible |
| $100 to $781 | $40 |
| $782 to $1756 | $80 |
| $1757 to $2890 | $160 |
| $2891 or above | $260 |
The calculator below will estimate the award you will receive. If you will be applying for a fall only or winter only contract, you can use the Spring/Summer term option and select that you are taking Spring/Summer classes. If you have any questions or notice any errors, please reach out to VP.Finance@icc.coop
MLK Calculator
Disclaimer: this calculator is for estimates only, formulas vary each year based on funds available and the number of applications received. This calculator is based off of the 2023-24 award formula. This calculator is not accurate for this year (and likely won’t be applicable for next year either). We are in the process of finalizing our scholarship policies and will provide an updated calculator once we have a set formula.
DFN = Expenses – Resources
Expenses are tuition and fees, ICC charges, and house charges.
Resources are scholarships, grants, family/parental contributions, income from working, etc. Income from working is adjusted downwards for the DFN calculation to reflect the challenges associated with working while taking classes (see the Labor Income section below).
Labor Income
Labor income is adjusted downward by Ann Arbor minimum wage at the start of the term ($10.33 for Fall/Winter 2024-25, $12.48 for Spring/Summer 2025 and Fall/Winter 2025-26). The “adjusted” labor income is calculated using the following formula: (hourly wage – $10.33) * (average hours worked per week) * 4 (approximate weeks per month) * (number of months in the contract period). For example, an applicant working 20 hours per week at $15/hour would make approximately $9,600 over the fall/winter term, but their adjusted labor income for the DFN calculation would be ($15/hr – $10.33/hr) * (20 hours per week) * (4 weeks per month) * (8 months in a fall/winter contract) = $2,988.88. If you work for less than $10.10/hour, your DFN labor income resource is $0 – it cannot be negative. Tipped employees will have an approximate hourly rate calculated from their most recent pay stub.
Loans
In general, loans are not counted as a resource. If your parents are loaning you their own money with the expectation that you will repay them, this should be reported in the “parental contribution” portion of the application.
Applications for aid through the MLK scholarship are typically processed in the first month of the contract period – double check application deadlines before the term starts to ensure you don’t miss your opportunity. Solidarity and Bridge applications are currently being disbursed on a rolling basis, so you should apply whenever you have need.
