MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant said 58 youths received messages last weekend through the university portal telling them they had won a Centralis Scholars Award, which includes full tuition, room and board, money toward books and supplies and a $5,000 “study away award.”
But the university said Wednesday that those contacted hadn’t won the prestigious award and the message had gone out “inadvertently” as school staffers were testing new messaging technology.
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Central Michigan’s admissions director is no longer employed by the school, WZZM-TV reported Friday, and another employee has taken over her responsibilities. It was not immediately clear if she resigned or was fired.
University officials apologized for the error Wednesday night, and offered all 58 prospective students the equivalent of a full-tuition scholarship.
Tuition for U.S. residents at CMU is estimated to be about $12,750 a year.
The Centralis Scholars Award is considered the premier merit scholarship CMU offers, according to the school’s website. The scholarships are awarded to high school seniors and only students who have a minimum 3.7 GPA and have already been admitted to the university are eligible.