Apply for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).  Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov

 

Contact your DHS caseworker and ask for Word documents:

DHS-945

DHS-944


Change in federal student financial aid as of July 2009:  P.L. 110-84 (College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007) will enable youth who are (or were) in foster care or “wards of the court” (i.e., other children who may not have formally been in foster care) at age 13 or older to claim independent student status when applying for federal financial aid.  The act does not specify the length of time that the child must have been in care or the reason for exiting care.  Students who claim independent status can typically access greater federal education assistance because they are exempt from including their parents’ financial information. 

Check your letter for TIP (Tuition Incentive Program), and apply for that.  THIS HAS TO BE APPLIED FOR BEFORE GRADUATION FROM HIGH SCHOOL.  For more information on TIP, visit www.michigan.gov/osg.  Or, you can contact the Tuition Incentive Program, Office of Scholarships and Grants, at 1-888-447-2687, or e-mail osg@michigan.gov.

After applying for FAFSA, complete the entire ETV (Education and Training Voucher) application, which can be found at www.mietv.lssm.org.  The phone number for the ETV office is 877-660-6388.  May be eligible to receive up to $4000 per school year.  When completing this application, the school information is the school you will be going to.  When you do the ETV budget form, make sure the total adds up to $4000 (this is just a guide – can approximate – not all sections have to have an amount written in).  You must complete the ETV checklist and include all documentation:  Copy of HS Diploma or GED, class schedule, cost of tuition, financial aid package, acceptance letter, and supporting budget documentation (ex. car estimate from dealer if buying a car with the money, etc.).


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