Detroit Promise: Four-Year Handbook

FOUR-YEAR HANDBOOK DETROIT

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2019-2020

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Administered by: Administered by:

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What is the four-year

Detroit Promise?

The Detroit Promise, administered by the Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation, ensures any eligible Detroit-resident student graduating in an eligible year from a high school in Detroit will have a tuition-free path to a bachelor’s degree* at any of the participating fouryear institutions. Funding for the Detroit Promise is provided by the Michigan Education Excellence Foundation and the Detroit Promise Zone Authority. Students must have: •

Lived in Detroit for all four years of high school

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Attended a high school in Detroit for all four years of high school

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At least a 3.0 overall GPA as of Feb. 15 of senior year

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At least a 21 ACT/1060 SAT eligible exam score by April 30** of senior year

*Students should check with their school to ensure that their desired degree is eligible for a Pell Grant. Programs that are not Pell Grant eligible will not be covered by the Detroit Promise. **See “Who can use the four-year Detroit Promise?” for more information.

What does it cover?

The Detroit Promise* will make arrangements to ensure the full cost of tuition and mandatory fees are covered after Pell Grant/TIP funding is applied to an eligible student’s bill at a participating institution. Students are responsible for any other expenses they incur while attending classes including, but not limited to, room, board, books, equipment, etc. *The Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation administers the Detroit Promise on behalf of the Michigan Education Excellence Foundation and is not liable for funding to the universities, colleges, or students.

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How does the Detroit Promise work with financial aid?

Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by June 30 every year they attend college (www.studentaid.ed.gov) and must check their eligibility for the Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) with the State of Michigan Treasury (www.michigan.gov/MISSG) by Aug. 31 of the year they graduate from high school.

• The school will apply any Pell Grant or TIP funding once billing is generated.

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If any balance remains for tuition and mandatory fees, the school will provide the remainder of the funding needed to cover the cost of tuition and mandatory fees.

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Students do not need to take out loans to pay for courses.

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Students with private scholarships may have to apply scholarships earned to tuition and mandatory fees. This policy will vary for each institution.

Students who are interested in funding at a four-year institution are not permitted to defer the use of the Detroit Promise for any reason other than military or medical necessity and must notify the Detroit Promise in writing. Once students begin taking classes, they must attend classes full-time every fall and winter semester (sometimes called spring semester), or they forfeit eligibility for the Detroit Promise.

Who can use the four-year Detroit Promise?

Students must: •

Have lived in Detroit for all four years of high school*

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Have attended any high school located in Detroit for all four years

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At least a 3.0 overall GPA as of Feb. 15 of senior year

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At least a 21 ACT/1060 SAT score, from an eligible exam,** by April 30 of senior year

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Have graduated from a high school located in Detroit in an eligible year

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Be eligible to be considered for federal student aid, as determined after completing the FAFSA

Please note: Students who are not eligible to be considered for Pell Grants are not eligible to receive funds from the Detroit Promise. Students do not need to be financially eligible for a Pell Grant, but they must be eligible to be considered for Pell Grants. Students should visit www.studentaid.ed.gov and click on “Who Gets Aid” to review eligibility. *Students who are in foster care should notify the Detroit Promise team as soon as possible to check eligibility. **In order for an exam to be eligible, the randomized score reporting date range for that exam must end on or before April 30 of the student’s senior year. The Detroit Promise will not accept exam scores from an exam that is scheduled to report scores after April 30, even if some scores arrive prior to that date. This is to ensure all students have a fair chance of being considered.

Where can students use the Detroit Promise?

Eligible students may use the Detroit Promise at any of the partnering colleges. For a list of participating schools visit www.DetroitPromise.com. Detroit Promise funds may only be applied to one school at a time and typically, four-year funding does NOT transfer. When a student commits to a school, the school budgets four years of funding for that student—while other schools do not. For this reason, students can, and have, transfered to other institutions, but their Detroit Promise funding often does not follow them.

How long are students eligible for the Detroit Promise funding?

Students will have the assurance of the Detroit Promise for eight semesters or four years, whichever occurs first. The Detroit Promise cannot be used for summer courses. All other courses are considered at the discretion of a student’s chosen institution.

Students attending four-year institutions are not eligible for summer funding. Furthermore, should a four-year student take courses at a community college for the summer, they will not have access to Detroit Promise funding. Four-year students who are eligible for TIP may be able to ask for summer funding from TIP.

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Maintaining Eligibility Once students become Detroit Promise scholars, they must fulfill the following to maintain eligibility: •

Attend school full-time

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Register for at least 12 credits in the fall and 12 credits in the winter (sometimes called spring) semesters

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Pass each registered course

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Maintain a 2.5 overall GPA

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Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and Academic Good Standing (AGS) as determined by the institution

What is Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)?

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SAP means a student is making adequate progress toward a credential within 150% (or time-and-a-half) of time needed to complete their program and is passing at least 66.67% of their classes, yearly.

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Failing or dropping too many courses could cause a student to be noncompliant with SAP and lose financial aid and Detroit Promise benefits/eligibility.

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A student who doesn’t drop a class before the final add/drop date will have the option to withdraw from a class up to a specified date each semester. When withdrawing from a class, students will receive a W (withdraw) on their transcript. Any student who withdraws from a class after the add/drop date must contact the Detroit Promise team for further review. The Detroit Promise funds are not guaranteed for classes that were dropped after the add/drop date and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

What is Academic Good Standing (AGS)?

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Academic Good Standing means students are maintaining a GPA that at least meets the minimum required by their chosen institution and/or program.

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This required GPA will vary between institutions and programs. Students should contact institutions for requirements.

No-Show Policy Students who register for a class but never attend, without formally dropping the class or withdrawing, will be marked with a No-Show grade. Per federal policy, all tuition paid out for students who received a No-Show grade will need to be paid back in full by the student. The Detroit Promise will NOT provide funding for No-Show grades. Students will not be able to register for subsequent semesters until the tuition balance is paid in full.

Furthermore, students may forfeit eligibility for the Detroit Promise.

Considerations for Extenuating Circumstances The Detroit Promise team understands that life happens, and some students may encounter circumstances beyond their control that may make it difficult to attend classes or maintain SAP, etc. Students are to notify the Detroit Promise team in writing when problems begin.

Do not wait until the end of the semester as it may already be too late for the college and the Detroit Promise to offer viable solutions.

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Does the four-year Detroit Promise have a GPA or ACT/SAT requirement?

Yes. In their senior year of high school, a student must have a cumulative 3.0 overall GPA

by Feb. 15 and maintain that GPA through graduation. Additionally, a student must have a score of 21 on the ACT or 1060 - 1080 on the SAT, from an eligible test date, by April 30 of their senior year. These are the minimum scores required. Admissions and Detroit Promise eligibility requirements may vary slightly for each institution.

Why did I receive a bill? Why do I have a balance on my account?

The Detroit Promise only guarantees that a partnering institution will cover the cost of tuition and mandatory fees. All other expenses are the responsibility of the student.

Students may receive a bill for costs associated with other items included in their cost of attendance (e.g., room and board). Students should contact the financial aid office with questions.

What should I do if I am struggling in a class?

Every school has success/support plans for students. Their support staff will be able to direct students to free tutoring services, supplemental instruction courses, textbooks available for free reference on campus, and other resources.

Should I keep applying for private scholarships?

Absolutely. Many private scholarships can be used to pay for laptops, vehicles, apartments, clothing, dependents, bills, and other expenses that students may incur. As long as students are taking classes at any school, applying for scholarships should be a priority.

For more information, visit www.DetroitPromise.com.

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