One of the biggest challenges that universities face today is the general public's perception that that higher education is too expensive and out of reach. The University of Michigan addressed this issue head on this past year with it affordability campaign. First, there was the launch of the "Go Blue Guarantee," a commitment to cover the full cost of tuition on the Ann Arbor campus for up to four years for qualified undergraduate in-state students with family incomes of $65,000 or less. The new financial aid program was announced by President Mark Schlissel and approved by the University of Michigan Board of Regents at the June 2017 board meeting. In partnership with the offices of the president, provost and enrollment management, the office of the vice president for communications launched the first phase of an integrated marketing communications campaign to support the Go Blue Guarantee announcement, including news and public relations, social media, and digital components.
