 Paying for College – Student Financial Aid State of Michigan web site for student financial aid.
Michigan College Access Network Announces $250,000 in Awards for Local College Access Planning and Startup Grants
February 12, 2010
LANSING –The Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) today announced that 17 communities will collectively receive more than $250,000 to support student access and success in college. These grant opportunities are designed to help Michigan communities establish local college access networks. These networks will coordinate programs, services, and resources that lower the barriers preventing students, particularly low-income and first-generation students, from pursuing postsecondary educational opportunities.
Grant recipients and the communities they serve include:
- Baldwin Community Schools, Baldwin
- Battle Creek Community Foundation, Battle Creek
- Bay Area Community Foundation, Bay County
- Career Transitions, Inc., Inkster and Wayne/Westland
- Communities in Schools of Mancelona, Mancelona
- Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area, Holland and Zeeland
- Consortium for Community Development, Benton Harbor
- Delta College, Midland & Saginaw Counties
- Early College Alliance – Washtenaw ISD, Washtenaw County
- The Fremont Area Community Foundation, Newaygo County
- Grand Rapids Community Foundation, Kent County
- Mott Community College, Genesee County
- Muskegon Opportunity, Muskegon County
- Northwest Detroit Neighborhood Development, Brightmoor Neighborhood, Detroit
- POH Riley Foundation, Pontiac
- St. Clair County RESA, St. Clair County
- Sturgis Public Schools, Sturgis
Contact Brandy Johnson-Faith, College Access Coordinator, 517-335-5113, JohnsonFaithB@michigan.gov
The Counselors and Mentors Handbook on Federal Student Aid (2008-09 edition) – now online in PDF. Look at the lower righthand side of the screen, under "Counselor Resources." We expect hard copies of the book to be ready in mid- to late October. If you're on our mailing list in the high school, TRIO, GEAR UP, BIA school, or NCAN categories, you will automatically receive a copy.
Federal Student Aid Summary: 2008-2009 Distribution Update – From NACAC, Publication Date: September 13, 2007
- Federal Student Aid Summary: 2008-2009 Distribution Update - Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the FAFSA on the Web Worksheet (FOTW Worksheet)
Attention: Change in Distribution for 2008-2009
For 2008-2009 paper FAFSAs will not be available for schools to order via FSAPubs. Students will be able to obtain a paper FAFSA by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) toll-free at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). Students may request up to three copies of the paper application and should receive their FAFSAs in 3 to 7 business days.
With your support, we will continue to encourage students to use the online method for filing the application. The FOTW Worksheet, the most effective tool students can use to facilitate the online application process, will still be available for bulk order by schools. In addition, Federal Student Aid has several promotional publications (e.g., the Need Money for College Brochure, Start Here Go Further Bookmark, the FAFSA on the Web Poster) that list application resources, explain how students can file the FAFSA and provide tips for completing the application.
New for 2008-2009 is a PDF version of the FAFSA that students can submit for processing. The PDF version of the FAFSA will be available for download on various Federal Student Aid web sites, such as www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov. Students can access the PDF, complete the form on the computer or by hand, and mail it to the address provided for processing. Schools will also be able to access the PDF from our web sites including FSAPubs at www.FSAPubs.org.
Why We Made This Change
While we have successfully decreased reliance on the paper FAFSA over the last several years, until now, Federal Student Aid has continued to print and distribute millions of unused paper forms to schools each year. Approximately 500,000 paper FAFSAs have been processed to date for 2007-2008. For the same period in 2006-2007, there were 778,000 forms processed. These numbers represent almost a 50 percent decline in the number of paper applications processed.
In one example, of the 75,000 paper FAFSAs requested by a single school, students from that school submitted only 68 of the paper forms for processing. Understanding the importance of this trend, Federal Student Aid concluded that our new distribution strategy not only reduces waste and costs, it also provides students with viable alternatives for completing and submitting the FAFSA.
Thank you again for your continued support in moving to alternate methods of completing the FAFSA. If you have any questions or comments about the information provided in this letter, please email us.
Educational Resources for Youth in Foster Care – For most of the listed resources, students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). By completing the FAFSA, a student finds out what grants and loans he or she is eligible for. In most cases, youth that have been in care are eligible for the Pell Grant. The FAFSA can be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.org.
- Education and Training Voucher (ETV): The ETV can provide up to $5000 per year to assist with attending college or a vocational program. To be eligible, a youth must:
- Have been in foster after their 14th birthday and, if adopted, adopted from foster care after their 16th birthday
- Have a high school diploma or GED
- Be attending, at least half-time, an accredited educational program.
ETV money is first put toward tuition and fees. Any additional money can be used for living expenses that will assist the youth with attaining their educational goals, such as rent, car insurance, car payment, groceries, a computer, books, etc.
Additional information and application materials can be found at http://mietv.lssm.org, or call 1-877-660-METV (6388).
- Tuition Incentive Program (TIP): Financial assistance for those students who have had Medicaid for any 24 out of 36 consecutive months and who have obtained their GED or high school diploma prior to turning 19 years old. TIP pays a potion of tuition for the first two years of college when working toward an Associate’s degree and the second two years when working toward a Bachelor’s degree. Call 1-888-4GRANTS to see if a student is eligible.
- Youth in Transition Funding (YIT): YIT funding is for youth from ages 14 to 21 that are/were in foster care. It will pay for specific items that will assist a youth meet their goals in the areas of education, employment, housing, medical, transportation, and independent living skills. Some examples of what YIT may assist with for education are:
- GED and SAT/ACT Preparation Courses and Exams
- Extra-curricular activities
- Career Planning
- Educational testing and assessments
- Senior pictures/Class Ring/Senior Prom/Graduation Expenses
- Special tuition
- Tutoring
- Books
- Supplies
- Computers
- Internships
- Transportation
YIT can also assist with deposit and first month’s rent on an apartment, start up goods, and driver’s training classes. In most counties, youth can use up to $600 per year of YIT, unless an exception is granted. To find out more information, contact your local Department of Human Services.
- Orphan Foundation of America (OFA): The OFA administers scholarships specifically to youth that have spent at least 12 months in the foster care system. They give away an average of $1 million dollars per year. Some of these scholarships include:
Because all are sponsored by OFA, students complete only one application for all the above scholarships and are not, generally, applying for one scholarship or another. More information and the application can be found at the OFA website at www.orphan.org
- Children’s Benefit Fund: For current and former MCI Wards. This funding can provide educational supports that include the purchase of computers. Must apply through the office of the MCI Superintendent, Bruce Hoffmann, (517) 335-6152.
- Helpful Websites to Check Out
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