For Summer and Academic Year Programs
Tuition assistance from the GATE office may be available to those with documented financial need. GATE strives to support families who cannot afford the tuition required to attend GATE programs. Scholarship awards are granted based on family income using the Federal Eligibility Guidelines for Reduced Lunch. To determine your eligibility, view the Income Eligibility Chart and find the yearly income for your household size. To qualify for GATE Need Based Scholarship, your Adjusted Gross Income on your signed 2023 tax return must be below the yearly income listed on the Income Eligibility Chart. Extenuating circumstances may also be considered. When filling out the Scholarship application, please use the Statement of Need section to detail any those circumstances or to add additional details not in your tax return.
Please note that you are responsible for paying the program’s application fee and are subject to the GATE refund policy.
Parents are required to check with your student’s school prior to applying for a GATE scholarship. Most schools in the Greater Lansing area contribute to GATE program tuition. Qualifying students in a contributing district are not eleigible for a scholarship except in cases where the district does not contribute the entirety of GATE tuition.
GATE's Need-Based Scholarship may only be requested through the May application deadline. After that, funds will not be awarded.
If your student leaves the program for any reason and your school has paid their tuition, you are responsible for repaying the district however they see fit. GATE does not refund school districts directly.
How to Apply for a GATE Need-Based Scholarship:
- Complete the online scholarship form in the GATEway application system (the former PDF form is no longer in use, and will not be accepted).
- Upload a signed copy of pages one and two of your 2023 federal tax return (please block out all Social Security numbers).
- If you are not required to file a tax return because of your income level, you will be asked to fill out a Statement of Income Sources in the online application.
- For audit compliance, evidence of the most current year's tax filing is a non-negotiable requirement for any financial aid request due to the parameters set forth by the funding source. Other tax return documents, including older returns and statements, are not accepted for any reason.
Your decision letter will include the award amount (if any) in the tuition breakdown.
Because scholarship funding is limited, families are restricted to receiving one award (one session) per student's lifetime. This financial aid policy is subject to change. Districts that have students applying for financial aid will be limited to two recipients per year. Students will be prioritized based on the financial aid application submission date.
We do not accept scholarship applicants whose permanent residence is outside of the state of Michigan.
For Academic Year Programs
Scholarships are limited to qualifying families with a documented financial need whose home school does not contribute tuition. If your student’s school has indicated that they pay full tuition then, regardless of need, your request for scholarship awares will be declined as your student’s school will be invoiced on your behalf.
If your student’s school pays only a portion of their tuition or there are no scholarship funds remaining, the GATE office will communicate with you about a payment plan.
For Summer Programs
Summer program scholarships are awarded similarly. However, because many schools are out of session during the summer months, families who would like to have their school pay will be required to pay tuition and be reimbursed in the fall (or whenever the school pays the summer invoice for their GATE students).