Blue Water College Access Network

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.

Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) honored college access and success champions from across the state at its 12th annual conference. The 2023 College Access Impact Awards recognized 13 people and organizations who are positively impacting college access and attainment in Michigan. Among those honored were local college access champions including Blue Water College Access Network and former college adviser (and St. Clair High School graduate) Emily Tenniswood. Read about their awards below:

The recipient of this award is an individual or organization that has provided leadership in creating effective alliances focused on postsecondary attainment. MCAN presented the 2023 Flagship Award to Blue Water College Access Network. In its work, Blue Water College Access Network has been a leader in finding innovative ways to reduce summer melt and has shared its expertise beyond Michigan at the National College Attainment Network’s 2022 conference in Atlanta. Blue Water College Access Network has forged close relationships with the AmeriCorps advisers in its community, working to find housing for them and ensuring they are set up for success in local high schools.

“We're extremely honored and humbled to receive this recognition from our partners at Michigan College Access Network. This award serves as validation to the network that our impact is living outside the walls of our meetings and supporting the students who need us the most. We'll take this moment to celebrate the efforts of this amazing community of St. Clair County before getting back to work eliminating the challenges and barriers our students face on their pathways to postsecondary success.”
Nick Beaudry, LCAN coordinator and Supervisor of Career and College Programs for St. Clair County RESA

MCAN values the leadership and service of AmeriCorps members serving as college advisers and college completion coaches across the state. This award honors a member from each Michigan corps — AdviseMI, Michigan State University College Advising Corps, Michigan College Advising Corps and College Completion Corps — to recognize their passion for college access and success. The Michigan State University College Advising Corps honoree is Emily Tenniswood. Tenniswood served for two terms at Algonac High School, where she surpassed her goals with 100% student one-on-one meetings, 100% submission of at least one college application and 47% submission of three or more applications. Additionally, she achieved a remarkable 63% FAFSA completion rate for her senior class.

“I am incredibly honored to be a recipient of the 2023 Ombudsman Award. I look forward to continuing to advocate for students at all levels of higher education as I pursue my own educational journey in becoming a physician.”
Emily Tenniswood, former adviser, Algonac High School

Class of 2024, here's a Career & College Checklist to ensure your plans for after graduation on track this Fall. Connect with your College Adviser and High School Counselor to review your plans for your senior year to ensure you reach your postsecondary goals for after graduation.

St. Clair County Association of School Boards (SCCASB) is once again offering $1000 Scholarships to up to seven (7) deserving high school seniors. These are competitive scholarships that will be awarded countywide. Any graduating senior student attending a high school or alternative high school in any of the seven local districts is eligible to apply.

The 2024-25 FAFSA will launch by Dec. 31, 2023, according to an announcement posted today by the US Department of Education. Although it could launch sooner,

National College Attainment Network recommends using Dec. 31 as the effective opening date. Learn more: https://ncan.org/news/657885/2024-25-FAFSA-To-Launch-by-December-31-But-Challenges-Remain.htm

Beginning with the Class of 2024, 10 of Michigan's 15 public universities have committed to joining the Michigan Assured Admissions Pact. The MAAP ensures every Michigan high school graduate with a 3.0 GPA or higher will be admitted to participating universities.

https://maap.org/

Students and families looking for help paying for college are encouraged to register for a Virtual Financial Aid Presentation provided by Michigan Department of Treasury’s MI Student Aid team.

Participants will be able to gather information on the following financial aid topics:

• FAFSA application information
• Federal financial aid programs
• State financial aid programs
• Scholarship searching resources

October 5, 2023 at 12 - 1 p.m.

October 19, 2023 at 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

November 2, 2023 at 12 - 1 p.m.

November 16, 2023 at 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

December 7, 2023 at 12 - 1 p.m.

December 21, 2023 at 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

High school students and families interested in learning more about the Michigan Achievement Scholarship are encouraged to register for an informational webinar provided by Michigan Department of Treasury’s MI Student Aid team. Participants will be able to gather the following information:

• Michigan Achievement Scholarship eligibility requirements
• Michigan Achievement Scholarship award amounts
• Important action items for students and families
• Additional resources and program information

All sessions are free of charge and open to the public.

October 4, 2023 at 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

November 1, 2023 at 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

December 6, 2023 at 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Each month, counselors can find current college and career counseling information and professional learning opportunities in the Counselor Corner section of the BWCAN newsletter. A running compilation of opportunities can also be found on the Counselors page at bwcan.org.

Don't forget to register for the Mini Webinar Training Series for High School Counselors and College Advisers! There are a variety of dates and topics to choose from and we encourage high school counselors and college advisers to register for ALL mini webinar trainings. The next mini webinar will take place on Thursday, November 16 at 10:30 AM and will provide an overview of the Tuition Incentive Program (TIP), best practices when scheduling a TIP Talk event and more. SCECH credit is available for attendees and information on how to obtain SCECH credit will shared during the webinar. Be sure to reserve your spot today!

Virtual Financial Aid Webinars

Students and families interested in learning about financial aid are encouraged to register for a virtual presentation provided by the MI Student Aid Outreach team.

Participants will be able to gather information on the following financial aid topics:

• FAFSA application information
• Federal financial aid programs
• State financial aid programs
• Scholarship searching resources

The next virtual Financial Aid webinar will take place on Thursday, November 16 at 6:30 PM. There are multiple dates and times to choose from and all sessions are free of charge and open to the public. Register for one session only, as space is limited.

Students and families interested in learning about financial aid are encouraged to register for a virtual presentation provided by the MI Student Aid Outreach team.

Participants will be able to gather information on the following financial aid topics:

• FAFSA application information
• Federal financial aid programs
• State financial aid programs
• Scholarship searching resources

The next virtual Financial Aid webinar will take place on Thursday, November 16 at 6:30 PM. There are multiple dates and times to choose from and all sessions are free of charge and open to the public. Register for one session only, as space is limited.

Counselors looking for opportunities to earn credits to renew their certificates have flexible free online courses that may fulfill your needs:

Michigan Virtual Counselor Courses - various SCECH Credits

Understanding the Modern Military - 5 SCECH Credits

MCAN Upcoming Webinars - .5-1 SCECH Credit each

MCAN Webinar Recordings - 1 Credit each

Full list from MDE: Free and Low-Cost Online Professional Learning Options Approved for Certificate Renewal and Progression

SC4 has a handy webpage for those guiding students' college and career planning. They have updated English and math placement information, AP course equivalencies and more. Check it out here: https://sc4.edu/admissions/high-school-counselors/

Award Letters Are Arriving — Do Your Students Understand Them?

Students might need help navigating financial aid offers. These offers, often referred to as award letters, should spark conversations about college affordability between students, families and the professionals who help them along their postsecondary pathways.

Learn more about Award Letters here.

2023-24 FAFSA and FSA Updates: What Do You Need to Know?

National College Attainment Network highlights the latest changes in the 2023-24 Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Learn more about the latest FAFSA changes here.

Virtual College Financial Aid Nights

MI Student Aid hosted virtual college financial aid nights for students and families looking for college financial assistance.

Watch 2022 Virtual Financial Aid recordings here and find information for 2023.

This MCAN webinar series features sessions hosted by admissions experts from Michigan’s postsecondary institutions. Each webinar provides an overview of the admissions process from three institutions and addresses updates to their current admissions practices.

Learn more and register →

Registration is now open for the 2023-24 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, community-based partners, 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 three statewide high school initiatives — Michigan College Month, College Cash Campaign, and College Decision Day — into one campaign to help bring Michigan closer to Sixty by 30. There is no cost to participate, and all Michigan high schools and community-based organizations that work with high school students are invited to sign up. Click the register button below to learn more. 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 lists.

Why should my school or organization sign up?

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

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

REGISTER

Email: beaudry.nick@sccresa.org
Website: bwcan.org
Location: 499 Range Road, Marysville, MI, USA
Phone: 810.455.4261
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueWaterCAN/
Twitter: @BlueWaterCAN