Welcome to your resource for planning, preparing, and going to college after high school. Blue Water College Access Network is here to provide information and opportunities that will ensure you graduate confidently prepared, with plans for career and college beyond high school. Whether you choose to go on to earn a bachelor's degree, an associate degree, or an industry credential, we can help you get there!

Each month, we will publish a newsletter to keep you on track, informed, and engaged in college activities provided by organizations across the county. To subscribe to the newsletter, submit your email address using this form. Past editions of the newsletter can be found at bwcan.org. Contact Nick Beaudry with any questions you might have at beaudry.nick@sccresa.org.

2023-24 Free Application for Federal Student Aid

Michigan Priority Deadline: May 1

The 2023-24 FASA opened Oct. 1. Incoming and returning students can apply. The application will remain open until June 30, 2024, but Michigan students should complete the FAFSA before May 1, 2023, to get priority consideration for state-based scholarship programs. Financial aid deadlines at postsecondary institutions may be even earlier. Submitting the FAFSA is free and there is no income limit; please encourage all students to apply as soon as possible!

Learn more and complete the FAFSA →

From MI Student Aid:

The MI Future Educator Fellowship will offer $10,000 scholarship to up to 2,500 future educators every year.

Eligibility Requirements:

To be eligible, the student must:

• File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Have begun your first semester or term in the education program in the Fall 2022 semester or after.
• Be a high school graduate.
• Be admitted in an eligible Educator Preparation Program (EPP).
• Be working on your first teacher certification.
• Must have earned at least 56 semester credits or 84 term credits.
• Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
• Be a Michigan resident since July 1 of the previous calendar year.
  • If you are a dependent student, your parent on your FAFSA must also be a Michigan resident since July 1 of the previous calendar year.
• Be enrolled at least full-time (or its equivalency if participating through an Alternative Certification Program.)

MI Future Educator Fellowship Application:

• File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Create a portal account on the MiSSG Student Portal.
• Complete the application in your MiSSG Student Portal for MI Future Educator Fellowship.
• Institutions will be contacted to confirm student eligibility.

Apply Now

Renewal Requirements:

Fellowship is renewable for up to three years. To renew, the student must:

• Maintain continuous full-time enrollment
• Achieve at least 24 credits per year
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
• Maintain a 3.0 GPA
• Participate in relevant academic and career advising programs offered by the school
• File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Maintain Michigan residency

Commitment to Teach in Michigan:

When a student receives this award, they agree to work in Michigan classrooms.

• If you receive one year of funding from the MI Future Educator Fellowship you agree to work as a certified teacher in a public, nonpublic, or public preschool program in Michigan for three years.
• If you receive two years of funding from the MI Future Educator Fellowship you agree to work as a certified teacher in a public, nonpublic, or public preschool program in Michigan for four years.
• If you receive three years of funding from the MI Future Educator Fellowship you agree to work as a certified teacher in a public, nonpublic, or public preschool program in Michigan for five years.
• If you teach in a critical needs district your service obligation may be less.

If a student does not meet this service obligation requirement and/or does not finish the teacher certification program, the fellowship converts to a 0% interest rate loan with a repayment term of 10 years.

Award Amount:

$10,000 per year or the cost of tuition at the in-district, resident rate + mandatory fees per year, whichever is less. Other tuition specific aid may reduce this award.

Additional Resources:

Frequently Asked Questions

MI Future Educator Fellowship Fact Sheet

MI Future Educatory Fellowship Flyer

Students and families need guidance from school counselors on the full range of career and education choices available to them after high school, including options for joining the military. This resource-driven course will present you with information that will help in understanding an array of military career options and the education benefits that can support students in the pursuit of those careers. Throughout this course, you will explore various resources into military pathways and discover opportunities that are nearly as diverse in number and scope as those in the civilian sector.

In this course, you will:

• Use current military resources and hear from service members to gather facts and information about military career pathways,
• Understand and accurately present military career options and pathways to students,
• Integrate a Military Subject Matter Expert into college and career readiness initiatives in your school, and
• Support students and families as they explore military career options.

Michigan Virtual | Earn 5 SCECHs | MORE INFORMATION

SC4 has a handy webpage for those guiding students' college and career planning. Check it out here: https://sc4.edu/admissions/high-school-counselors/

MCAN is proud to share our winter/spring 2023 professional development opportunities for Michigan school counselors. To respond to the ever-changing school landscape, we are adjusting our offerings to provide training on more topics and in new formats to fit the needs of school counselors.

Building on the success of our established Foundations of Equity in College Advising course, we are excited to offer two new courses facilitated by Dr. Laura Owen from the Center for Equity and Postsecondary Attainment at San Diego State University. Equity-Focused Career Development and Postsecondary Transitions and Contemporary and Social Issues in School Counseling are designed for those who are able to commit to a semester-long, graduate-level course and want to take a deep dive into equity-based counseling work.

MCAN will also continue offering College and Career Advising Mini-courses facilitated by Michigan school counselors. These mini-courses are a great option for school counselors who are looking for deeper engagement than a one-hour webinar provides.

School counselors will need to decide between enrolling in the career development course, contemporary issues course, or the mini-courses. Check out the descriptions below to see which option would be the best fit for your schedule and interests.

Equity-Focused Career Development and Postsecondary Transitions

This course is designed for professional school counselors and pre-service school counselors, career advisers, and educators. Participants will acquire the skills and knowledge needed to address equity and access issues in career development and help students prepare for postsecondary education.

Equity-Focused Career Development and Postsecondary Transitions will run Jan. 18-May 5. The course will require independent online work and five one-hour online meetings, which take place monthly. We anticipate 20 SCECHs in career exploration and 10 SCECHs in college preparation will be awarded to individuals who complete the full course.

Learn more →

Contemporary and Social Issues in School Counseling

This course will review current events, ideas, opinions, and topics relevant to the school counseling profession today. Participants will acquire inquiry skills to examine issues across policy, research, and practice that impact their work with students, families, staff, and community partners.

Contemporary and Social Issues in School Counseling will run Jan. 18-May 5. The course will require independent online work and five online meetings, which take place monthly. We anticipate 15 SCECHs in career exploration and 15 SCECHs in college preparation will be awarded to individuals who complete the full course.

Learn more →

College and Career Advising Mini-courses

These mini-courses are designed by college access experts from across the country and will guide participants on how to support more students on the path to postsecondary education, especially low-income students, first-generation college-going students, and students of color. Topics include FAFSA-related issues, college and career advising in the middle grades, and advising for special population students.

We are offering four mini-courses starting in January and running through April; follow the link below to see individual course schedules. Each mini-course will be five weeks long, with a one-hour virtual meeting every week, culminating in a final action plan. We anticipate offering 20 SCECHs per mini-course in college preparation and/or career exploration.

Learn more →

Registration and Course Cost

These courses are open to all Michigan school counselors, college and career advisers, and educators. Registrants who secure a seat in any of our professional development opportunities will receive a scholarship to access the course at no cost.

Register now →

Questions?

Please contact Kiersten Nolan, strategy assistant for high school innovation, with questions about any of the professional development courses.

Registration is now open for the 2022-23 cycle of College Bound Michigan, MCAN's suite of initiatives designed to build and support college-going cultures in high schools and their surrounding communities. This program helps school counselors, college advisers, and other educators create systems and practices that connect all students with the opportunity for formal education beyond high school, including postsecondary certificates and academic degrees.

CBMI brings together all of the statewide initiatives — Michigan College Month, College Cash Campaign, and College Decision Day — into one campaign to help bring Michigan closer to Sixty by 30. Click the register button below to learn more and sign up. Current CBMI sites, be sure to register to ensure you are included as a host site for next year! Registration will remain open through the fall, but signing up now ensures timely delivery of resources and takes something off your summer/fall to-do list.

Why should my school sign up?

As a CBMI Host Site, you will have access to:

• Exclusive grant opportunities
• Promotional materials
• Student-facing, grab-and-go resources
• Counselor/adviser-facing toolkits and implementation guides
• Professional development opportunities
  

REGISTER

Questions?

Contact Kiersten Nolan, MCAN’s strategy assistant for high school innovation, with any questions about CBMI eligibility or programming at 517-316-1713 or kiersten@micollegeaccess.org.