TWO-YEAR HANDBOOK 2019-2020
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Administered by:
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What is the two-year Detroit Promise? The Detroit Promise, administered by the Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation, ensures any Detroitresident student graduating in an eligible year from a high school located in Detroit will have a tuitionfree path to an associate degree or technical certificate* at any of the participating colleges. Students must have attended a Detroit high school and must have lived in Detroit for their final two years of high school. Funding for the Detroit Promise is provided by the Michigan Education Excellence Foundation and the Detroit Promise Zone Authority. *Students should check with their postsecondary institution to ensure their desired degree or technical certificate is eligible for a Pell Grant. Programs that are not Pell Grant eligible will not be covered by the Detroit Promise.
What does it cover? The Detroit Promise will arrange for payment* of tuition and mandatory fees at a participating institution. Students are responsible for any other expenses they incur while attending classes including, but not limited to, books, supplies, uniforms, 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.
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 to student’s billing. If any balance remains for tuition and mandatory fees, the school will bill the Detroit Promise directly. • Students do not need to take out loans, apply funds from private scholarships earned, or find other means for payment of tuition and mandatory fees. • Students with private scholarships do NOT have to apply scholarships earned to tuition and mandatory fees. Students are permitted to defer the use of the Detroit Promise for one year. Once students begin taking classes, they must attend classes full-time every fall and winter semester (sometimes called spring semester), or they will not be eligible for the Detroit Promise funding.
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Students with circumstances requiring special consideration may submit an appeal to attend parttime or take a semester of leave. Summer funding must be appealed, is not guaranteed, and may be approved on a case-by-case basis. All appeals can be found on the Detroit Promise website by visiting the “Two-Year Student” page at www.DetroitPromise.com.
Who can use the Detroit Promise? Students must: •
Have lived in Detroit for all of junior and senior year of high school*
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Have attended any high school located in Detroit for all of junior and 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 their eligibility. *Students who are in foster care should notify the Detroit Promise team as soon as possible to check eligibility.
Where can students use the Detroit Promise? Eligible students may use the Detroit Promise at any of the eligible 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. Students wishing to transfer schools must notify the Detroit Promise in writing at least one month prior to the intended transfer.
How long are students eligible for the Detroit Promise funding? Students will have the assurance of the Detroit Promise for 150% (time-and-a-half) of the time their program typically requires to be completed. For example, if a student is enrolled in a one-year program, they will have one-and-a-half years of eligibility for Detroit Promise support. A student in a two-year program will have three years of eligibility for Detroit Promise support.
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Maintaining Eligibility Once students become Detroit Promise Scholars, they must fulfill the following to maintain eligibility: •
Register for at least 12 credits in the fall and 12 credits in the winter (sometimes called spring) semesters. Students are expected to pass at least 66.67% of their attempted classes by the end of the school year in order to remain eligible for the Detroit Promise. Students must also maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and Academic Good Standing (AGS) as determined by their school.
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Students who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that suggests they should take less than a full-time credit load, must have their college contact the Detroit Promise team in writing clearly stating the adjusted credit amount.
Please note: Colleges cannot ask if a student has an IEP, so students and families will need to reach out to the access and/or advising office.
What is Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)? •
SAP means a student is making adequate progress toward a credential within 150% (or timeand-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)? •
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. Detroit Promise will NOT cover tuition 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.
Losing/Regaining Eligibility Students must maintain SAP and AGS in order to maintain eligibility for the Detroit Promise. If a student loses eligibility for financial aid, they must go through the appeals process at their school and notify the Detroit Promise team immediately. If a student needs to take a semester off or is in jeopardy of losing eligibility for the Detroit Promise for any other reason, they must notify the Detroit Promise team as soon as possible, and their eligibility status will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
What is the Detroit Promise Path? The Detroit Promise Path is a student success program that assigns a Campus Coach, as of fall 2019, to all Detroit Promise community college students. Campus Coaches connect students with on-campus student resources, support students’ educational journey and personal growth, and assist students in achieving goals. Please note that participation in the Detroit Promise Path is highly encouraged to support student success, however, not participating will not impact students’ eligibility for the Detroit Promise funding.
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To remain eligible for Detroit Promise Path participation, students must: •
Maintain SAP (a 2.0 overall GPA and completion of 2/3 of enrolled classes)
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Meet with coach twice monthly
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Maintain open, responsive communication with coach
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Complete the FAFSA each year
In addition to the benefit of having a dedicated, knowledgeable coach, each scholar participating in the Detroit Promise Path will receive a monthly stipend and will be connected to a community of Detroit Promise scholars. Detroit Promise Path Campus Coaches* are available to students at: •
Henry Ford College
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Macomb Community College
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Oakland Community College
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Schoolcraft College
Please note: Jackson College and Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD) do not have a Detroit Promise Path Campus Coach. Jackson College receives all Detroit Promise students in their Multicultural Affairs Department. Their staff works closely with students to identify support services that best fit the student including, but not limited to, academic and social supports, mental and physical health resources, and college transfer supports. WCCCD will provide details about their internal success programming.
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Frequently Asked Questions Does the scholarship cover “out of district” tuition for students who do not reside in a particular college’s district? Yes. The Detroit Promise will provide any gap funding a student requires—up to the full cost of tuition and mandatory fees — at any of the participating and eligible colleges. Please note: All funds will be paid directly to the educational institution after the add/drop period of the fall, winter, and spring/summer semesters, respectively, as defined by each institution. Payments made will only cover the portion of tuition and fees that is not covered by Pell Grant or TIP.
Why did I receive a bill? Why do I have a balance on my account? Typically, there is a wait period between when schools determine account balances and when a bill is sent to the Detroit Promise team. When it is time to pay, schools send the Detroit Promise team one large bill for every Detroit Promise scholar enrolled. Schools will still make students aware of a balance or send students a bill based on protocol. However, as long as a student ensures their school knows they are a Detroit Promise scholar, and that it is noted on their account, a student can rest assured that their balance will be included in the bill that is received by the Detroit Promise.
What should I do if I am struggling in a class? Every school has success/support plans for students. Students must reach out to the student services office at their school. They 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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