University to pay tuition for students following error

(The Hill) — A Michigan college is offering to pay the full tuition of dozens of high school students who were incorrectly told by the school that they had won full scholarships.

Central Michigan University said in a statement on Wednesday that it would be providing 58 high school seniors with an offer “to increase their award amount to the equivalent of a full-tuition scholarship” after it had accidentally told them they had received a Centralis Scholar Award, The New York Times reported.

According to the university, the award is given to high school seniors and covers their full tuition — $12,750 each year — as well as room and board and fees for all four years. Students also receive a study away award of $5,000.

It is not clear exactly how much more financial assistance those high school seniors will be receiving as a result of the mishap.

Staff members accidentally sent out the full-scholarship announcements to students while new messaging technology was piloted, Central Michigan told the Times.

The students had received a message from the school on Sunday that they had incorrectly been named awardees before it later issued a statement that their tuition would end up being covered for all four years to fix the error.

A Central Michigan spokesman said, however, that other privileges associated with the scholarship would not be given to the students, according to the Times.

The Hill has reached out to the university for comment.