The Central Michigan University campus is shown Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005, in Mount Pleasant, Mich. Dozens of prospective Central Michigan University students who were mistakenly told they had won full-ride scholarships that include room and board have received an apology from the school — and offers of the equivalent of full-tuition scholarships. The university said Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2022, it was an error and the message went out “inadvertently” during testing of new messaging technology. (AP Photo/Al Goldis, File)
Dozens of prospective Central Michigan University students who were mistakenly told they had won full-ride scholarships that include room and board have received an apology from the school — and offers of the equivalent of full-tuition scholarships “to make it right."
School officials said 58 youths received messages last weekend while accessing 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.
Parker Christensen, a 17-year-old senior at Newaygo High School, said he was so excited to have won the scholarship he told his friends and family, and his mother posted about it on social media.
But his joy evaporated when he learned the message was a mistake.
“Colleges are supposed to make your dreams come true not destroy them or make you second guess if they are achievable,” Christensen told Central Michigan Life, CMU’s student newspaper.
University officials apologized for the error Wednesday night, and offered all 58 prospective students the equivalent of a full-tuition scholarship.
“We deeply regret the disappointment and frustration caused by the test message error in the student portal,” CMU spokesman Aaron Mills said in a statement. “To make it right, we will be reaching out to each of the 58 students who saw the congratulatory message regarding the Centralis Scholarship and offering ... the equivalent of a full-tuition scholarship.”
It is not clear how much more money that means for the affected prospective students, but 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.
In addition to full tuition, room and board and the award's other benefits, students who get the scholarship can also take part in special honors classes.
Damali Peterman, founder and CEO of Breakthrough ADR, joins Cheddar News to discuss what Black professionals are up against in the workplace this year.
David Malott, founder and chief architect at AI PlanetWorks joins Cheddar News to discuss the release of its augmented reality NFTs for the metaverse called 'TERA.'
Jess Hunichen and Emily Ward, co-founder of Shine Talent Group join Cheddar News to talk about The BodCon conference and how it empowers men and women to feel confident.
Alia Kemet, vice president of creative and digital at McCormick, joins Cheddar News to discuss Frank's RedHot releasing an edible NFT ahead of the Super Bowl.
Xiaohua Yang, professor of international business and director of the China Business Studies Initiative at the University of San Francisco, joins Cheddar News to talk about the history of Lunar New Year.
After a number of tragic subway incidents, the MTA is facing increased pressure to install subway platform screens to help prevent injury or death. However, according to an earlier report from the MTA, installing these prevented measures isn't feasible. New York City Council Member Keith Powers, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Across the country, states are working to redraw their congressional lines in what is often known as gerrymandering. These news lines are expected to determine the balance of power between Democrats and Republicans within the next decade. Senior Counsel for the Brennan Center's Democracy Program, Michael Li, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
AT&T announced earlier today it is spinning off its media properties in WarnerMedia in a merger with Discovery in a $43 billion deal.Scott Rostan, founder and CEO at Training The Street, joined Cheddar to talk about what the unwinding of the telecom giant's Time Warner media properties means for investors. "I think the investor sentiment is they're digesting the new information, and they're looking into the dividend, especially the reduction of the dividend," said Rostan, noting the transaction allows AT&T to focus on its core telecommunications business.
A 2021 report from UK Research and Innovation found that the shipping industry makes up at least 2.5 percent of the world's total CO2 emissions. It's a problem that energy solutions company, Leclanché, is trying to solve. Founded in 1909, the company has been developing and producing batteries for more than 100 years. Today, Leclanché's lithium-ion battery is used to electrify not just ships, but also railroad locomotives, trucks, and specialty vehicles. Cheddar News spoke with Pierre Blanc, chief technology and industrial officer of Leclanché, to discuss.
