May 5, 2025

Ferris State celebrates first-ever TIP Scholars graduation ceremony to honor students who showed determination and resilience

Ferris State TIP Scholars graduation celebration — The Ferris State TIP Scholars program is hosting its inaugural graduation celebration event highlighting the academic achievement, resilience and determination of students who have had to overcome higher education barriers.

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. —

Ferris State University is celebrating a milestone event honoring TIP Scholars, students who successfully earn their associate and bachelor’s degrees through Michigan’s Tuition Incentive Program.

This inaugural ceremony highlights academic achievement, student resilience and determination to overcome higher education barriers.

Through TIP, the state of Michigan helps cover the cost of an associate degree and provides additional support for those students pursuing a bachelor’s degree.

Ferris State is Michigan’s only four-year institution in the Lower Peninsula that offers direct assistance for associate and bachelor’s degrees. The more than 1,600 TIP students currently enrolled from across the state reflect this commitment.

“The TIP office focuses on helping students in their first semester in the fall, trying to connect them with resources that can help them ease into college,” said Nick Palmer, Ferris State’s TIP Scholars coordinator. “In reviewing our programming, there wasn’t anything we were doing once students were about to graduate, and we needed to do something to celebrate their accomplishment.”

While Ferris State has long prioritized early support for TIP Scholars, the graduation ceremony marks a meaningful new tradition, recognizing students’ achievements at the culmination of their academic journey.

“In a way, it’s completing the circle where the TIP office meets them in their first semester of school and follows them through graduation,” Palmer said.

Many TIP students are the first in their families to graduate from college, making the celebration even more significant. “For many, the degree from Ferris State can lead to employment and a fulfilling career,” the TIP Office shared.

Graduates receive a professional portfolio set, a practical gift as they transition into their careers.

The ceremony, which organizers plan to become annual, will be in the David L. Eisler Center ballrooms on Tuesday, May 6, at 5:30 p.m.