Camp Michigania Application Guidelines
From eligibility criteria to the lottery, here’s everything you need to know about applying to Camp Michigania.
Summer Eligibility
In order to apply to attend Michigania, there must be one eligible applicant per unit. This individual is the primary camper. If your party needs more than one unit, separate eligible applicants must apply for each unit, and your entire party can apply collectively as a group. Note: Spouses, significant others, partners, or any eligible applicants who will be in the same unit are not allowed to apply separately.
To be eligible to submit an application, the primary camper must be 18 years of age or older, have an active Alumni Association membership, and meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Be an alum of the University of Michigan (attended for at least one semester in a degree-granting program).
- Be a non-alum with a Life Membership that was obtained prior to Jan. 1, 2023.
- Be a current University of Michigan faculty/staff member or retiree.
- Be faculty with emeritus status as assigned by the University of Michigan.
To enjoy the benefit of Michigania, every adult over the age of 18 who is not currently enrolled in a college or university must be a current member of the Alumni Association prior to attending.
While Summer Camp is open to participants of all ages, there are limitations for our specialty programs:
- Fall Colors: Adults only (18 and older)
- Winter Camp: Adults and children 3 and older
- Note: While children under the age of 3 are able to attend at no cost, there will be no programming available for this age group.
Last updated: January 2026
Additional Application Information
Multiple parties (related or unrelated) may apply as a group. Each party applying for a unit within a group must complete a separate application and contain at least one eligible applicant as defined above.
A group application will give you one lottery entry for Michigania. If a group application is selected, all parties in the group will be confirmed. If a group application is not selected, the applications will be waitlisted in consecutive order.
Groups must appoint a primary party to apply for the lottery first. That primary eligible applicant will add email addresses for the primary applicant in each party during their application. Those additional parties will receive a unique link to apply as a part of that group application. The week choices will be pre-filled for all parties who receive that unique link.
The maximum number of parties that may apply as a group is limited to 4. This means that the primary party applicant can add up to 3 additional parties to their group.
In order for a group application to qualify for the lottery, all additional parties must qualify and apply by the lottery end date.
Summer Camp
- Applications for the lottery for summer will open on Jan. 20, 2026.
- The application period for lottery eligibility will be open until Feb. 3, 2026.
- Applicants will be alerted of their application status by Feb. 20, 2026.
- The application will remain open after the lottery process, and new applicants will be added to the waitlist for desired weeks.
- Any units being held will be released to the waitlist on March 1, 2026. Should no waitlist remain for a given week, new applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Beginning on March 15, 2026, non-eligible applicants will be able to apply should space remain.
Other Programs
- Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
The lottery will run within one week of the lottery application period closing. We give ourselves a week to clean up any application or data discrepancies and give applicants time to correct them. Once the data is ready, the lottery takes seconds to run. It is an automated process, and applicants will be alerted of their status within days of the lottery running.
Inventory Allocation
5% of the reservation inventory will be allocated for Camp Director’s discretion. This space may include, but is not limited to, Camps Council members, Faculty Forum speakers, and donors who have provided significant support to Michigania in the past. It is important to note that an individual is not able to make a donation in order to receive priority access — it is based only on past giving.
If an individual or group application is not selected for any of their week choices, they will be placed on the waitlist in the order determined by the lottery process. All primary applicants will be alerted of their place on the waitlist upon the initial run of the lottery and every month following the initial run of the lottery.
If you are waitlisted and cancel from the waitlist or do not attend, your deposit will be refunded.
If a spot becomes available, you will be notified by email to accept the offer. If you decline, your deposit will be refunded. If you do not plan on attending, please remove yourself from the waitlist to make room for others who are still interested in attending.
Priority
Eligible applicants who have been waitlisted for two consecutive years without receiving a spot or attending a week at Camp will be guaranteed a place for the upcoming summer. The exceptions below apply only to Summer 2026 and future years and are not applied retroactively.
- Declining a spot offered more than 30 days in advance: If you are offered a spot from the waitlist for either your first- or second-week choice more than 30 days before the start of that week and you decline, that year will not count toward the two-year waitlist requirement for priority status.
- Accepting a spot offered within 30 days of the session: If you are offered a spot 30 days or fewer before the start of that week and you accept, your waitlist status will count toward earning priority status for being waitlisted two consecutive years.
- Attending Victors Week from the waitlist: If you choose to attend Victors Week after being offered a spot from the waitlist, that year will count toward the two-year waitlist requirement for priority status.
Note that you cannot be in a group with anyone who does not have priority.
If you’re unsure whether you qualify, please don’t hesitate to call the Michigania office at 231-582-9191 for clarification.
All final payments for confirmed summer reservations must be received by April 15. Payments received after April 15 but before April 30 will incur a $200 late fee. If payment is not received by April 30, your reservation will be canceled.
Final payments for summer reservations confirmed after April 15 are due within 14 days.
Please contact our office no later than Feb. 28 if you need to make payment arrangements.
Payments may be made online with a credit card or by check, payable to Michigania and mailed to:
Camp Michigania
3006 Camp Sherwood Rd
Boyne City, MI 49712
Before Summer Confirmations
Cancellations received prior to confirmations being emailed will receive a full refund, less a $50 processing fee.
After Summer Confirmations
Cancellation of a confirmed reservation, meaning you have already received an email that you have received a spot from the lottery process, is determined by how far away your booked date is, with the refund amount depending on the amount of time away from this date.
- Cancellation of a confirmed reservation:
- 30 or more days before the reservation date, the camper is entitled to a full refund but will forfeit the deposit.
- Under 30 days, but before 14 days, the camper is entitled to a 50% refund.
- Under 14 days, the camper is not entitled to a refund for cancellation.
- Removal of a camper from a confirmed reservation:
- After May 15, there will be a $100 fee per camper removed, unless replaced with another camper, in which case there is no charge.
All Other Programs
Cancellation of a confirmed reservation 30 or more days before the reservation date entitles you to a full refund less $50. If you cancel your reservation or remove a camper between 14 and 29 days before the event, you are entitled to a 50% refund. If you cancel or remove a camper fewer than 14 days before the event, no refund will be given.