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 a 4-year, 2-year, technical school, trade school, or apprenticeship, 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. Contact Nick Beaudry with any questions you might have at beaudry.nick@sccresa.org.

The Blue Water College Access Network’s 4-Part webinar series will provide high school students with the essential steps for career and college planning. During these 1-hour virtual sessions, industry experts will help students and their families easily navigate the application process, identify important changes, and successfully prepare for their future after graduation.

*One attendee at each event will win a $500 scholarship from the Community Foundation of St. Clair County. Find more details in the Community Foundation Scholarships section below.

September Events

College Applications and Essays - September 23 | 7PM

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - September 30 | 7PM

To learn more and to register, click the schedule, or go directly to the event registration site.

BWCAN has put together a handy list of six activities to help seniors stay on track with plans for life after graduation. For assistance with any of the activities, reach out to your counselor, college adviser, or Nick Beaudry at beaudry.nick@sccresa.org | 810-455-4261.

Do you know of a high school graduate that was a front-line worker for at least 11 of 14 weeks between April 1 - June 30? If so, they are eligible for scholarship money through the community college.

What is it?

• Provides scholarships for Michiganders without college degrees who worked in frontline jobs in essential industries during the state COVID-19 shutdown in Spring 2020
• Provides tuition-free access to public community colleges to earn an associate degree or industry-recognized certificate
• Uses federal funds to launch the program

Two Pathways

Path 1: For the frontline workers who have a high school degree (or equivalent)

Path 2: For the frontline workers who need to complete a high school degree (or equivalent)

Eligibility Requirements

• Be a Michigan resident
• Worked in an essential industry (at least half time) for 11 of 14 weeks from April 1 to June 30, 2020
• Have not previously earned a degree
• Not be in default on a Federal student loan

Scholarship Requirements

• Apply to and be admitted to a Michigan public community college
• Enroll at least half time in a Pell-eligible program that leads to an associate degree or industry-recognized certificate
• Complete the current-year Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Enroll and begin classes in the winter, spring, summer, or fall semester of 2021

Complete the Futures for Frontliners scholarship application by December 31, 2020

• Application period: September 10 - December 31, 2020
• To apply and for more information, click here

Local Contact at SC4

Please contact Jo Cassar at St. Clair County Community College if you have any questions about the Futures for Frontliners Scholarship Program. Jo may be reached at 810.989.5539 or jcassar@sc4.edu

The Class of 2021 can earn up to $40,000 from The College Board by completing important college preparation actions: Build, Practice, Strengthen, Complete, and Apply. Scholarships will be awarded through monthly drawings to students who complete 5 of the 6 actions below:

• Build Your College List
• Practice for the SAT
• Improve Your SAT Score
• Strengthen Your College List
• Complete the FAFSA
• Apply to Colleges

The more effort you put forth, the more money you can earn! For full details, visit CB.org/opportunity.

Class of 2020! The deadline to complete the Tuition Incentive Program(TIP) application has been EXTENDED until August 31, 2021. If you believe you might be eligible for the Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) and still haven't given us a call, please do so. Those who are eligible and do not complete their application by August 31, 2021, will forfeit their eligibility. Call the offices of MI Financial Aid 1-888-447-2687 today to complete your application!

To raise awareness of college savings plans, September has been deemed College Savings Month across the country. Here are some resources to help you learn about 529 savings plans:

• General information about college savings plans
• Information about 529 plans or here
• Michigan Education Trust (MET) - offering $100 match grants with new contracts in September and waiving $25 enrollment fee
• Michigan Education Savings Program (MESP)

SC4 transitioned many of its on-campus courses to online and remote formats for the Fall 2020 semester. Classes that remain on-campus include occupational subjects in healthcare, engineering technology, graphic design, and some lab components of science classes.

The college will again offer late-start classes that begin during the fifth and ninth week of the semester. This means there’s still time to register for a class, even for dual-enrolled high school students! Visit sc4.edu/why-sc4-this-fall or call Admissions at (810) 989-5571 for more details on how to get started at your community college.

As we approach the opening of the 2021 FAFSA on October 1, be sure to include SC4 as one of the schools that receives data from the aid form. Many students, especially this fall, have made last-minute decisions to attend SC4, and having the FAFSA information already sent to the college makes the financial aid process much quicker and easier in those cases.

Thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, one lucky junior or senior at each remote Blue Water College Access Network event will win a $500 scholarship. In order to win, you must be present at the time of the drawing and you must be a resident of St. Clair County.

Mark Your Calendar!

The Community Foundation's online scholarship application portal and SC4's online scholarship portal will open Jan. 2, 2021 for 2021-2022 academic year awards. But why wait? Check out the scholarships that are available and prepare to apply.

Four of our local high schools will welcome the service of new college advisers for the upcoming school year, while two others will embrace the wisdom of returning advisers. Look for adviser spotlights in newsletters throughout the school year as we get to know each of the county's college experts:

Seth Cunningham - Algonac High School

Claire Nowinski - Memphis High School (year 2)

Brandon Wardlow - Port Huron High School

Steven Curtis - Port Huron Northern High School (year 2)

Shaila Moore - Yale High School

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