
Blue Water College Access Network
St. Clair County's College Resource | February 2023
College Knowledge for EVERYONE
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.
Your Future in Health Careers *RESCHEDULED*
Blue Water College Access Network is excited to be partnering with SC4 to host "Your Future in Health Careers" March 2 6 - 8 PM. The event will be held at SC4's Health Sciences Building.
This hands-on, interactive career exploration event is a great opportunity for 9 -12 grade students and families to explore career paths in the healthcare field, health sciences programs, and transfer pathways available at SC4. Groups will rotate through stations featuring hand-on activities specific to careers as well as an information panel featuring current SC4 students enrolled in various programs.
SAT Prep Workshops
TARGET AUDIENCE: 11th and 12th grade students
DATES: March 4 and March 11
TIME: 9AM-2PM
COST: FREE for St. Clair County member district students
LOCATION: St. Clair County RESA Administration Building 499 Range Road Marysville 48040
REGISTER ONLINE: There is no cost to attend these workshops, but registration is required.
Scholarships and Financial Aid Webinar Video
Topics include:
• Local scholarships available at the Community Foundation
• Scholarships and financial aid services available at St. Clair County Community College
• The new Michigan Achievement Scholarship
• Why filing the FAFSA is a critical step in financing your education
Find all BWCAN webinar videos at bwcan.org.
FAFSA is Open
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!
Michigan Achievement Scholarship
High school students and their families/caregivers looking to secure more financial aid for college are encouraged to register for an informational webinar about the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which is a new State of Michigan scholarship program expected to impact the majority of students in the Class of 2023 and beyond!
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. Please register for one session only, as space is limited.
Not able to attend one of the informational sessions? You can view a recording of the presentation.
The Michigan Department of Treasury is not affiliated with National Merit Scholarship Corporation or its registered trademarks National Achievement®, Achievement Scholarship®, or Achievement Scholar®.
Understanding Your Award Letter
Understanding Your Award Letter
Financial aid award letters can often times be difficult to understand. That is why MI Student Aid has developed the Understanding Your Award Letter web page!
High school students and their families/caregivers interested in learning more about this helpful resource are encouraged to register for an informational webinar provided by Michigan Department of Treasury’s MI Student Aid team.
Participants will be able to:
- Gain a better understanding of how to approach comparing multiple college financial aid award letters
- Utilize online tools to help you make the best financial decision
- Better understand the individual awards offered and applicable requirements of scholarships, grants, and Federal loan options
- Identify additional scholarship search resources and easy to use budgeting tools
- Submit general aid related questions via Q&A and receive real-time answers from Michigan Department of Treasury’s MI Student Aid team
All sessions are free of charge and open to the public. Please register for one session only, as space is limited.
We look forward to your participation!
St. Clair County Association of School Boards Scholarship
St. Clair County Association of School Boards (SCCASB) is once again offering four (4) $1000 Scholarships to four (4) 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.
Application and information memo
For more information contact Kris Murphy at 810.455-4035 or murphy.kris@sccresa.org
How to College Crash Course Playlist: To College or Not To College?
In this month's video, Finding Your Place, in this episode, Erica goes through ways you can make sure you feel like you belong and have a place at college. Get a list of upcoming episodes for Fast Guides and How to College at https://gostudyhall.com/
Because there's a lot of information to keep track of when you're applying to college, Crash Course made an easy spreadsheet to help you compare schools, keep track of application requirements, and set your goals! Copy this free template and make it your own: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ycGCb-JeGpiu0LLJCUVvV_Zlm5W8u5eimgk3N3blmug/edit#gid=0
To preview upcoming topics, check out the episode guide.
From the Study Hall Program:
Dr. Erica Brozovsky (from PBS's Otherwords) hosts and breaks down how to apply for, succeed at, and graduate from college. We hope you'll join us for this journey and check out our all new Study Hall Channel where you can watch Fast Guides about college majors and even more series. Get a list of upcoming episodes for Fast Guides and How to College at https://gostudyhall.com/
Counselor Corner
SC4 Resource for Counselors and Advisers
SC4 has a handy webpage for those guiding students' college and career planning. Check it out here: https://sc4.edu/admissions/high-school-counselors/
College Bound Michigan Registration Now Open
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
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.
Contact Nick Beaudry, Supervisor of Career and College Programs, St. Clair County RESA
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