Community College Summer Fellowship Program (CCSFP)

The Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) at the University of Michigan (UM), Ann Arbor offers a 10 week paid State-Wide Summer Research Fellowship for currently enrolled Michigan community college students who are interested in transferring to U-M, Ann Arbor, or any other institution in the future. The fellowship takes place in person on the U-M campus from Tuesday, May 26, to a July 31, 2026.

Research projects are available in ALL fields including:

• Social Sciences
• Humanities
• Engineering
• Health Sciences 
• Physical Sciences
• Natural Sciences 
• Environmental Sciences 

Information Sessions Available Tuesdays at 4:30pm EDT

Zoom Link

December 9, 2025 

January 13, 2026 

January 27, 2026

The program seeks to attract a diverse student population, including women and historically underrepresented students, first generation college students, students from low-income backgrounds, and veterans.

Participating in CCSFP will:

• Build a close working student-mentor relationships with UM Faculty and research scholars. 
• Connect with representatives from UM Admissions, Financial Aid, Academic Advising and learn about Transfer Procedures and Strategies. 
• Gain familiarity with the University of Michigan Campus Resources and Programs.
• Develop students' Professional and Transferable Skills in their field of Study or major.

For fellows whose permanent residence is located 50 miles outside of the Ann Arbor Area, an additional housing stipend may be awarded to assist in locating housing on campus based on need.

This is a paid summer fellowship. Students earn a stipend for their research, working anywhere from 20 - 40 hours/week.  

• Full Time (40 hours per week/ 400 hours total): $3,000-$7,000. Some opportunities may be provided on a part-time basis.

Please Note: Stipends will be prorated for fellows unable to complete the full 400 hours in the time allotted.

Note to International Students currently in the U.S.: Because these fellowships come with a stipend, it is important for any F-1 or J-1 status holders to obtain authorization through F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or J-1 Academic Training (AT) to be able to participate. Please consult with your Academic Advisor and International Student Advisor at your home institution to verify CPT/AT eligibility, requirements, and application procedures. 

Students applying should be one of the following:

• Applicants must have completed at least 18 credits (or 2 semesters) at the community college level and must have already graduated from High School (or earned a GED).
• If you are a dual enrolled in High School and Community College, you must have completed 30 credits at the Community College.
• Applicants must be a currently enrolled student attending a community college in the state of Michigan.

Please note:

• Students who have already received a bachelor's degree will not be eligible to apply. Students who have been admitted to a 4 year college/university at any point in their educational career are not eligible.
• Students who have been already admitted to UM-Ann Arbor for Winter 2025 or Fall 2025, are encouraged to contact us directly for the UROP’s Changing Gears Program for incoming transfer students.
• Note to International Students currently in the U.S.: Because these fellowships come with a stipend, it is important for any F-1 or J-1 status holders to obtain authorization through F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or J-1 Academic Training (AT) to be able to participate. Please consult with your Academic Advisor and International Student Advisor at your home institution to verify CPT/AT eligibility, requirements, and application procedures.

Required Materials and information you will need to prepare and upload the following information to the  online application. Please note that you can save your application and return to it at a later time.  However, all material must be uploaded and submitted by the application deadline: February 6, 2026

Personal Statement

The personal statement is not to exceed 1,500 words.  It is your opportunity to showcase your skills and qualifications pertaining the fellowship and answer the following questions:

a. What are your academic and/or professional career goals?

b. Why do you want to transfer to the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor or another four year institution?

c. What experiences have you had that would make you stand out as a candidate for the program?

d. As a part of CCSFP you will be joining a network of Research Fellows and Mentors. What type of experiences and skills would you bring to our community?

The personal statement also gives you an opportunity to explain any potential hardships or drawbacks in other areas of your application. Please save your Personal Statement as Last Name_ First Name_Personal Statement

Resume

A PDF file of your most current resume will be uploaded as part of the Online Application. Please save your resume as Last Name_First Name_Resume

Transcripts 

A scanned copy of all official community college transcripts from all previously attended institutions must be uploaded as a pdf.  

A merged PDF file of your unofficial copy of transcripts should be uploaded as part of the Online Application (transcripts session). This will allow our admissions team to review your application in a timely manner.Please note: Please save your transcripts PDF file as Last Name_First Name_Transcripts

Note: Applications without official community college transcripts by the February 6th deadline will be considered incomplete.

Two Letters of Recommendation (online system)

To apply for this fellowship, you must obtain at least 2 letters of recommendation. Recommendations must be on official college/company letterhead and signed by the recommender. We strongly recommend that letters of recommendation are from faculty members at your current institution who can speak specifically about your capability of doing research in your desired field. For example, if you are hoping to work in the biomedical sciences field, one of your letters should be from a faculty member who can talk specifically about your ability to do such research (e.g. biology professor). Recommendation letters could also be from anyone you have a professional relationship with (graduate student instructor, advisor, supervisor, personal reference, etc.).

As an applicant, you will be asked to provide the recommender's contact information when completing the online application.  The letters of recommendation must be submitted by the recommender directly to the online recommendation application system. Letters of recommendation are NOT allowed to be sent by the applicant!!

Please note that each recommender will receive an automated email with  instructions to submit their recommendation(s) once applicants have completed and submitted the online student application. Recommenders will be instructed to upload their letter of recommendation in Adobe PDF format. Applicants will receive an automated email when the recommendations are submitted.  Letters of recommendation are due no later than Monday, February 23, 2026.