Frequently Asked Questions
Last revised 2 October 2011
1. What is the Kalamazoo Promise?
2. What is The Detroit College Promise?
3. How will my donation be used?
4. Who is eligible for The Detroit College Promise Scholarships?
5. What is the registration process?
7. Do I need to fill out the FAFSA application?
8. Are there any academic requirements?
9. How much will I receive from the scholarship?
10. Will scholarships be paid for transfer students to Cody?
12. What is The Detroit Compact?
13. What are the eligible universities and/or colleges?
14. Are vocational schools eligible?
15. Can the scholarship be transferred to a private college or out-of-state vocational training program?
16. Are there additional requirements that must be met after the initial award?
17. What happens if the student fails to meet the requirements?
18. What are the mandatory fees that The Detroit College Promise pays for?
19. Are application fees covered?
20. Does The Detroit College Promise pay for deposits that colleges require to secure enrollment?
21. Can I wait before attending college?
22. How long do students have to use The Detroit College Promise?
24. How long will The Detroit College Promise be available?
25. How is The Detroit College Promise funded?
26. Who started The Detroit College Promise?
27. What is PathologyOutlines.com?
28. What is the relationship between PathologyOutlines.com, Inc. and The Detroit College Promise?
29. What is the relationship
between The Detroit College Promise and other Promise programs?
What is the Kalamazoo Promise?
The Kalamazoo Promise is a widely publicized scholarship program which began in November 2005. It provides scholarships to Michigan public colleges and universities for all students who graduate from Kalamazoo Public Schools, reside in the district, and have been Kalamazoo Public School students for at least four years. There are no income or academic restrictions. The scholarships range from 65% to 100% of undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees, based on the number of years of continuous public school attendance and residency (65% for 4 years to 100% for 13 years, nothing if less than 4 years). The Kalamazoo Promise was entirely funded by anonymous donors. It has had a dramatic impact on Kalamazoo, causing an increase in public school enrollment after years of decline, and creating a minor economic boom.
What is The Detroit College Promise?
The Detroit College Promise is a scholarship program for Detroit Public School students that is modeled on the Kalamazoo Promise, but with some differences based on our need to raise the money ourselves and different characteristics of Detroit students.
Currently, 100% of donations are allocated for scholarships, unless explicitly indicated otherwise. All of our organizational expenses (salaries, rent, office expenses, fundraising expenses, etc.) are paid by our primary sponsor, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc. (see below) or other sponsors. Scholarship funds are paid directly to Michigan public colleges and universities. No money is paid directly to students, parents or the Detroit Public Schools.
Who is eligible for The Detroit College Promise Scholarships?
Beginning with the graduating class of 2015 (current 9th grade students), these scholarships are available to all students who (a) register by December 1 of their 9th grade year, and (b) live in Detroit and are enrolled in a DPS high school continuously from the date of registration through graduation. We recommend that all K-9 students register now.
For the class of 2009, the scholarship was offered only to seniors at Cody High School who applied by December 1, 2008.
For the class of 2010, the scholarship was offered to all seniors at Cass Tech, Central, Cody, Douglass, Pershing and Trombly High Schools. The registration deadline was January 15, 2010.
For the classes of 2011 to 2014, the scholarship was offered to all DPS students in grades 9-12. The registration deadline was December 3, 2010.
What is the registration process?
Students register by clicking on the Student Login
button on the Home Page, and filling in the form. Instructions are available
by clicking here.
There is also a paper registration form (click here).
That's all you have to do, until you are a senior in high school. Then, you have to "claim" a
scholarship by filling out the Scholarship Acceptance form (click here)
and sending in the other documents listed.
We recommend that all K-9 students in a DPS school complete our simple registration form. Our scholarship is good for 10 years from graduation, so even students who do not plan to use it immediately may use it in the future. However, they must register by December 1 of their 9th grade year, or they will NOT be eligible. Students can sign up for our email newsletters at any time (visit our Home Page and click on the link in the lower right corner).
Do I need to fill out the FAFSA application?
Yes. Completion of the FAFSA form (www.fafsa.ed.gov) is required to receive money from our scholarship program, because it allows us to stretch our scholarship dollars and help more students. It should be completed online by February 28, if possible. Some colleges award generous grants, but only if the FAFSA is completed on time. After March 1, less scholarship money is available. Seniors should start preparing to fill it out in September (by reviewing the previous year’s form), then start filling out the online form on January 1 when it becomes available. It may take 2-3 hours to complete, and additional time may be needed to get the required documents. More information about financial aid is available from the Michigan Student Financial Aid Association, http://www.msfaa.org/resources/links.php and Edu-Guide (www.eduguide.org).
Are there any academic requirements?
No. However, we recommend that students obtain an overall 3.0 GPA or better from 9th to 12th grade, an ACT score of 21 or higher, and have 95% attendance. These achievements will help ensure that the student will be successful in college. These are also the requirements for the Detroit Compact scholarship (see below).
How much will I receive from the scholarship?
Our scholarship pays towards
the balance due, if any, for undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees for fulltime students at a Michigan
public college or university, afterapplication of FAFSA related federal, state and college grants, which includes the Michigan Tuition Incentive Program (TIP). The awards are based on the graduation year and the amount of the FAFSA related grants. Will scholarships be paid for transfer students? No, unless students also meet the eligibility criteria
indicated above. Will students who attend Detroit Public Schools and
transfer out of the system
(to a private school, charter school, other school district or home schooling)
prior to graduation be eligible? No. What is The Detroit Compact? The Detroit Compact is a scholarship operated by the Detroit
Regional Chamber of Commerce since 1990, for Detroit Public School students
only. We recommend this scholarship for students who qualify, because it pays
for all of the undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees to designated
public universities, which may be a better scholarship than we currently
provide. The requirements are an ACT score of 21 or better in reading and math
only, a cumulative (from 9th grade) 3.0 GPA and 95% attendance in high school.
Click here
or here
for more information or call the Chamber at 313/596-0318. What are the eligible universities and/or colleges? All 43 state-supported public universities and community
colleges in the State of Michigan. Universities:
Ferris
State University / Kendall School of Art & Design Lake Superior State
University Michigan Technological
University Saginaw Valley State
University University of
Michigan Dearborn Community
Colleges: Grand Rapids Community College Kalamazoo Valley Community College Mid-Michigan Community College Monroe County Community College North Central Michigan College St. Clair County Community College Wayne County Community College Are vocational schools eligible? All certification or degree programs in the trades at
state-supported community colleges are eligible. Private apprentice programs are
not eligible. Can the scholarship be transferred to a private
college or out-of-state vocational
training program? No. Are there additional requirements that must be met after
the initial award?
Yes. This question only applies if the award is for more than one year. Applicants must demonstrate, after each year of college, that: What are the mandatory fees that The Detroit College Promise pays for? We use the definition of mandatory fees of the Michigan
Educational Trust (MET): “Mandatory fees are those required to be paid by all
students attending a particular university/college. Application fees, contact
hour fees and fees which are course specific (such as lab fees for science and
computer classes, etc.), or fees assessed based on the number of credit hours
enrolled are not covered.” No. However, some institutions will waive the application
fee if requested because of financial hardship. Does The Detroit College Promise pay for deposits that colleges
require to secure enrollment? No. Most college and universities want students to make
deposits to ensure that they are serious about attending their institution. Can I wait before attending college? Yes. However, you must register for our scholarship by the
deadline to be eligible. How long do students have to use The Detroit College Promise? The scholarship is available for ten years following the
student’s graduation from Detroit Public Schools (example - for the graduating
class of 2011, the deadline to use the scholarship is June 2021). Study abroad is covered only if the program is administered
by the Michigan college or university the student is attending. The only costs
that are covered are the normal undergraduate tuition costs for the credits
taken abroad. How long will The Detroit College Promise be available? We plan to structure The Detroit College Promise so it will
continue in perpetuity. However, we are not yet at that point. How is The Detroit College Promise funded? Our generous donors are listed on the Donor page. Who started The Detroit
College Promise? The Detroit College Promise was founded by its Executive
Director, Dr. Nat Pernick, a third generation Detroiter who himself is a product
of the public school and public university system (click here for his
CV). What is PathologyOutlines.com? PathologyOutlines.com, Inc., established in August 2001, is a
for-profit business with a non-profit ideology. It provides free, regularly
updated, online textbooks of pathology, laboratory medicine and dermatology to
professionals worldwide. The websites (www.PathologyOutlines.com and www.DermatologyOutlines.com) are entirely supported by
advertising. What is the relationship between PathologyOutlines.com,
Inc. and The Detroit College
Promise? PathologyOutlines.com covers most of the expenses of The
Detroit College Promise not covered by grants. This means it is providing
staff and office space, and paying other office expenses not covered by
grants. PathologyOutlines.com has also contributed towards the scholarship
fund. What is the relationship between The Detroit College Promise and other Promise programs? We are always interested in collaboration, but at this time,
we have no direct relationship with other Promise type programs. End of Frequently Asked Questions
If the FAFSA related grants pay 100% of tuition and mandatory fees, we will provide a book award of $100 total.
If the FAFSA related grants do not pay 100% of tuition and mandatory fees, our award is based on the difference between the two, up to this maximum award:
Class of 2009: $500 per year, up to 4 years (these are Cody students only)
Class of 2010: $500 for one year (4 years for Cody students)
Class of 2011: $500 for one year.
The student must be a full-time student, taking at least 12
credit hours per semester. Summer school classes are NOT covered at this
time. Four years is defined as the receipt of a bachelor’s degree or 130
credit hours towards a degree, whichever occurs first.
Alpena Community College
● they are enrolled as a student in good standing,
● they have successfully completed 12 credit hours in the prior semester,
● they have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher.
Back to Top
What happens if the student fails to meet the requirements?
If a student does not take 12 credit hours in the prior semester, is not in good standing, or has a cumulative GPA less than 2.0, the scholarship will end until these requirements are met. The scholarship can be reinstated if the student takes additional classes, NOT paid for by The Detroit College Promise, which cause the student to now meet these requirements. Students can also make a hardship claim.