With the recent ranking of the University of Detroit Mercy being placed as the number two school in Michigan and No. 52 in the nation by The Wall Street Journal, this a special time for prospective students to decide on coming to Detroit Mercy. Coupled with the prestigious rankings is a new program Detroit Mercy is introducing called Titan Edge.
This new program reflects the values and aligns with the broader goals and mission of the institution. It comes to the school at the start of the 2024-25 academic year.
“Part of our Mercy and Jesuit heritage is to be able to offer admission and access to this quality education, regardless of the background of students,” said Debbie Stieffel, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Affairs.
Starting in the 2024-25 academic year, Detroit Mercy will offer free tuition to first-year students who meet certain eligibility requirements. Among those requirements are a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, eligibility for the maximum Federal Pell Grant, eligibility for the full Michigan Achievement Scholarship, eligibility for the full Michigan Tuition Grant, filing of FAFSA and full-time enrollment in an undergraduate admission program.
The University has been known to integrate their Jesuit and core beliefs into their school programs and pushes.
Stieffel underscores one of the motivations behind Titan Edge, highlighting the common misconception that deters potential students.
“Sometimes students think, oh, well, Detroit Mercy is just out of my reach. I’m not even going to apply,” Stieffel said.
With the Titan Edge program, UDM aims to shatter the financial blocks and ensure that deserving students, particularly those eligible for Federal Pell Grants, have the opportunity to pursue a quality undergraduate education.
As Titan Edge comes into existence to the public, it’s no surprise that The Wall Street Journal ranking acted as a pivotal element in the release timing of the program. The Wall Street Journal's ranking, unlike traditional evaluations, focused on outputs rather than inputs.
Stieffel said, "Other rankings judge inputs. How big is your endowment? How much money do you have for this? How big is your campus? Those are inputs. This particular survey was trying to determine what the outputs were."
UDM's notable standing in the rankings, particularly in social mobility, stems from a comprehensive approach. The university excels in not just providing access to education but ensuring that students, particularly those from lower-income families, successfully navigate and complete their academic journey.
The potential success of the Titan Edge program is not just a mere theoretical guess but is actually an extrapolated calculation. According to Stieffel, Detroit Mercy ran a ‘pilot’ version of Titan Edge last year which proved to be a success clocking in at over 200 students in the freshman class benefiting from the program with full tuition. This was without branding and wide-spread reach to the entire community, which only shows how muchthis program has the potential to grow in the future with its success.
As Titan Edge steps into the spotlight, the University of Detroit Mercy extends an open invitation to its students by showcasing not only an education, but a transformative experience that goes beyond financial constraints. With rankings reaching new heights bringing forth an introduction to the Titan Edge program, Detroit Mercy is proving that education is a luxury that should not be limited to selecting persons. The future of education at Detroit Mercy shines with a path for accessible education that ensures every student can navigate towards success.
