An error in testing text-message technology accidentally posted congratulatory messages in the online portals of 58 applicants to Central Michigan University, offering them full-tuition scholarships, plus room and board.
Because of that mistake, they will get them -- minus the room and board and a few other perks.
University officials apologized for the error Wednesday night, and offered the equivalent of a full-tuition scholarship to each of the 58 prospective students affected.
"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."
The message mistakenly informed the 58 prospective students that they'd been awarded CMU's Centralis Scholar Award, the most prestigious offered by the school, which includes "admission to the honors program, full tuition, room and board for four years and a $5,000 study away award."
Parker Christensen, a 17-year-old senior at Newaygo High School, was one of the recipients of the accidental message, he told Central Michigan Life, CMU's student newspaper. He was so excited to have won the full ride that he told his friends and family, and his mother posted about it on social media.
The full-tuition grants won't be Centralis Scholar awards, but it's not a bad payoff, all things considered.