One of the universities extended a full-tuition scholarship to those students impacted, minus the room and board, school officials announced.
Two Michigan colleges notified students that they were getting a prestigious scholarship, however, the notifications were sent in error, according to published news reports.
On Jan. 21, 58 students were informed that they had been awarded a full-ride scholarship to Central Michigan University (CMU), a school located in Mount Pleasant, Mi.
The Centralis Scholars Award scholarship is considered the premier merit scholarship for CMU and includes full tuition, room, and board, money towards books and supplies, and a $5,000 “study away award,” according to the school's website.
"While testing a new messaging technology over the weekend, CMU staff inadvertently posted a message about the prestigious Centralis Scholar Award that was seen by students who were logged into the system at that time," the university said in a statement.
"The message appeared to indicate the student had received the Centralis Scholarship, when in fact they had not. CMU deeply regrets the disappointment and frustration this mistake caused for students and their families.”
Once CMU officials discovered the error they apologized and said they wanted to “make it right,” CNN reported.
Since the error, the university is offering those students impacted the equivalent of a full-tuition scholarship, but does not include room and board, according to an email from the university, CNN reported.
Days after the mix-up at CMU, Oakland University, a school north of Detroit in Rochester Hills, had an incident of their own when approximately 5,500 students were notified that they would receive the school's Platinum Presidential Scholar Award.
The Platinum Presidential Scholar award is worth $12,000 per year for four years. The school learned of the error on Jan. 4.
University officials said the students who received the notification did not meet the eligibility requirement for the award. The email that was sent out was intended to go to those students who had already been granted the Presidential Scholarship award through an official scholarship award letter, ABC7 News reported.
"An immediate correction update was sent within two hours to the students who received the scholarship messages in error," the school said. "Our Undergraduate Admissions team also scheduled phone calls to explain the situation for those who contacted us.”
The offer the university is extending to these students is equivalent to a full-tuition scholarship but does not include room and board, according to an email from the university.
