Michigan Council of Women in Technology (MCWT, www.mcwt.org ). MCWT is expanding our reach across the state. MCWT’s mission is to inspire and grow girls and women in technology, and we seek to connect with young women to consider a career field in technology.

The scholarship application period is open from now until January 31. Annual MCWT scholarships range from $2,000 to $5,000, with the possibility of renewal, and are granted to high school seniors, undergraduate and graduate college students seeking a degree in a technology-related field. Recipients also are paired with a mentor to help their professional and personal growth as well!

Scholarship degree programs range from Information Systems to Artificial Intelligence to Cyber Security to Data Science – and many more! Please check out the website for more information: Scholarship Program - MCWT. The scholarship team is also offering drop-in sessions to provide assistance in completing the application, starting 12/17 and continuing through January.

From Governor Gretchen Whitmer

Hey Michigan students!

The FAFSA is now open, and if you’re planning to attend college or trade school next year, now's the time to apply. It's your key to unlocking the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and other opportunities that can help you achieve your academic dreams.

2025-26 FAFSA Form Now Available!

The U.S. Department of Education recently announced the 2025-26 FAFSA form is now available for students looking to secure financial aid in the 2025-25 Academic Year.

The FAFSA form connects students to various forms of Federal and State financial aid programs. The FAFSA is required for most State of Michigan financial aid programs, including the Michigan Achievement Scholarship!

Students can complete the FAFSA at StudentAid.gov.

For additional information about the FAFSA, please visit our FAFSA resources page.

The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential is not affiliated with National Merit Scholarship Corporation or its registered trademarks National Achievement®, Achievement Scholarship®, or Achievement Scholar®.

michigan.gov/mistudentaid

mistudentaid@michigan.gov

888-447-2687

• WE HAVE GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE FOR COMPLETING YOUR FAFSA! PLEASE SEE THE CCAC REPRESENTIVE AFTER THANKSGIVING (BY THE COMMONS) WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR FORM. LIMITED GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE. FIRST COME FIRST SERVED!

The Michigan Gem and Mineral Society is dedicated to furthering the education of our youth. We would like to award from one to three scholarships ($1000.00 each) to graduating seniors from Jackson County (and/or bordering counties) High Schools. The scholarships are for study in the areas of Earth Sciences, Lapidary Arts, and related areas. Membership in the MGMS is encouraged but not required.

Scholarship Application must be postmarked by Feb. 20, 2025

Scroll to the bottom of the attached page for more scholarship information and application.

MGMS

Applications are open for the next Henry Ford Jackson Hospital Student Career Exploration program to take place the week of December 16 to 20! Successful applicants will spend the week at Henry Ford Jackson Hospital-these will be excused as School Activity Days! This is open to students grade 9-12 who have identified a Health Science career as an interest in their Xello EDP (make sure you have "liked" a career in the Healthcare field in Xello). The application deadline for this session is November 18! See Mrs. Watts if you have any questions!

Henry Ford Jackson Hospital Career Exploration Program Information

High school students and families interested in learning more about the Michigan Achievement Scholarship are encouraged to attend an informational webinar provided by MI Student Aid.

Participants will be able to gather the following information:

• Information about the NEW Community College Guarantee
• 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. Register for one session only, as space is limited.

October 22 at 12:30 p.m.

October 22 at 6:30 p.m.

November 13 at 6:30 p.m.

November 26 at 6:30 p.m.

December 10 at 6:30 p.m.

Are you not able to attend a webinar? Take a look at the recording of the Michigan Achievement Scholarship Informational Session.

Be FAFSA® Ready! Students and Parents Need StudentAid.gov Accounts ASAP!

The new 2025–26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is coming by Dec. 1, 2024. Submitting the FAFSA form is the first step to getting federal student grants, scholarships, work-study opportunities, and student loans. It also helps determine eligibility for most state aid programs, like the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which can cover up to $27,500 for college!

Students can make FAFSA completion as easy as possible by doing two things.

1. Create your StudentAid.gov account or make sure you can access your existing account by signing in to StudentAid.gov.
2. If you’re under 24, get a parent to create their account. Check this chart to confirm whether a parent or spouse also needs to have an account before you can submit your FAFSA form.

Having trouble? Get answers to common questions about creating a StudentAid.gov account.

What do I need to create a StudentAid.gov account?

• Name (exactly as it appears on your Social Security card if you have one)
• Date of birth
• Personal email address
• Social Security number (if you have one)

Remember: You’ll have only one StudentAid.gov account to use for the rest of your life, so make sure to use an email address that you’ll have access to even after you graduate from school or change jobs.

How do I know if a parent or spouse also need to create an account?

• Check this chart to see whether any other contributors, like a parent or spouse, also need to create an account before you can submit your FAFSA form.
• If you’re still not sure whether you need a parent to sign your form, confirm if you’re an independent or dependent
• If you’re a dependent student, you (or your parent) can use the Who’s My FAFSA Parent wizard to figure out which parent, guardian or spouse also needs to create an account.

What if I don’t have a Social Security number (SSN) or my parent doesn’t have an SSN?

• If you have an SSN, you must provide it when creating an account.
• All students must have an SSN to create a StudentAid.gov account unless you are from the Freely Associated States (Micronesia, Marshall Islands, or Palau). Check eligibility here.
• If you are a parent or spouse who does not have an SSN, you can still create a StudentAid.gov account to contribute to a student’s FAFSA form. When creating your account, leave the SSN field blank and select “What if I don’t have a Social Security number?”
• If only one parent has an SSN, that parent is the one who should create an account and join the student's FAFSA form as a contributor.

Note: if you get a message saying the SSN you entered is already in use when you try to create a StudentAid.gov account, make sure you entered the SSN correctly. If you entered the SSN correctly, then it’s likely you created an account previously or someone else (such as a parent) created an account for you. Try logging in rather than creating a new account. If you have trouble logging in, try resetting your password or using another email address. You can also check with a parent to see if a StudentAid.gov account already exists for you. If you’re sure an account has not already been created, contact the office of Federal Student Aid for more help. Do not attempt to use an ITIN or other value in place of an SSN for online account creation.

Learn more about the FAFSA form at fafsa.gov.

Need a Spanish version of this communication? FSA ID Prep: Spanish Version

Looking to explore in-demand careers and discover the degrees or credentials needed to pursue them? Use Pathfinder, Michigan’s online career exploration tool that uses current information related to employment and the workforce, as well as data about the relationship between education and training programs, to help you learn about career paths and jobs in the state. Start the journey at Pathfinder.MiTalent.org.

My name is Dror Liebenthal, CEO of Bold.org, the largest independent scholarship provider in the country. Last year alone we awarded $3,000,000 in scholarships, and we continue our mission to help students pay for their education.

We have several recurring scholarships available for Northwest High School students, totaling $15,000+ in award funds. We would appreciate it if you could share these scholarships with your students on https://www.nwmissouri.edu/finaid/aid/scholarships/privresource.htm so they can be aware of these opportunities.

You can find the full list here: https://bold.org/scholarships/, where students can find over 2,000 scholarships across hundreds of categories.

Children of Veterans Tuition Grant

The Children of Veterans Tuition Grant provides undergraduate tuition assistance to students older than 16 and less than 26 years of age who are the natural or adopted child of a Michigan veteran. The veteran must have died or became totally and permanently disabled as a result of military service.

Children of Veterans Tuition Grant (michigan.gov)

Applications are available from 1 October through 1 May and may be downloaded from our website at www.johngeorge.org or by visiting our office at 145 South Jackson Street, Jackson, Michigan (corner of South Jackson and Cortland Street). Applications are due back into our office by mail or in person no later than 1 May. Applications received after

Check out our yearly checklists!