Promise News

• Currently, the Promise pays for your tuition and mandatory fees. This means you will still need to pay for books (including ebooks), materials, and school supplies.
• There are a lot of other scholarships out there to help with other college expenses. This could include housing, a laptop, software for classes, lab equipment, and traveling expenses.
• You will need to check with your college's financial aid office once you've made your choice to be sure that you can use your financial aid for non-tuition expenses.

Everyone who contributes to (fills out parts of) the FAFSA must have an FSA ID. Who does that include?

• You - the FAFSA will refer to you as the student.
• Your parent(s)/guardian(s) - the FAFSA calls these contributors. The rules changed last year about who you must list on your FAFSA.

What you need to do:

1. Create your own FSA ID. Some schools had you do this in October. Check your email to be sure you don't have any additional ID verification steps.
2. Talk to your parent(s)/guardian(s) about their FSA ID. They may already have one if they attended college after the FAFSA moved online or if you have an older sibling who applied for the FAFSA.
3. Do not start the FAFSA application until December 1, 2024. You will need to do the 2025-2026 FAFSA, and it's not open yet.

• Once you've been accepted, check your college's scholarship portal for scholarships.
• There is a list of scholarships in Xello. (Bonus, you can still access your Xello account after you graduate.)
• If you are not sure if you will attend MCC or Baker College of Muskegon and use your Promise, you can apply for the Community Foundation for Muskegon County scholarships. Applications close January 21, 2025.

• If you need letters of recommendation from a teacher, counselor, or other adult; it helps to remind them of activities you've been involved in during high school.
• Follow up with them after a week if you are waiting for that letter.
• Some of these have to be sent through CommonApp or directly to the college or scholarship. If you aren't sure, you can check in with the adult to be sure it was sent.

This checklist helps you focus on 2-3 things each month that you can do to be ready for college in the fall. You can add it to your Google Drive, print it, or add the items to your College Planning list in Xello for a live checklist!

High School

1. Your best starting point is always your high school counselor.
2. If you attend CTC, you can also check in with Mrs. Wiles.
3. Some schools have a college advisor or other staff who help students with college-going activities.

College

1. Check the college scholarship page.
2. Contact the financial aid office at the college(s) you are considering for questions about how to use financial aid for non-tuition costs.

Promise

I'm available to work with any potential Promise student. You can schedule to meet online or in person at your high school (see below) if you need help. I also work with your high school counselors on many college-going activities.

Class of 2025 students are eligible for the Promise if they:

• Complete the FAFSA for 2025-2026 (opens December 1, 2024).
• Live in the Muskegon Area ISD (MAISD) boundaries. You can check your address here.
• Graduate with a high school diploma from a school in the MAISD or be in a registered homeschool.
• Have a qualifying GPA. This includes students with a 3.000+ cumulative unweighted GPA when they graduate, students in the top 30% of their class with a 2.500+, and students who complete at least 1 full year at CTC with a 3.000+ at CTC and have a 2.500+ at their high school.
• Attend Baker College of Muskegon or Muskegon Community College.