Michigan Merit Award

Michigan Promise Scholarship

We are pleased to report that Governor Granholm recently signed into law Public Act 349 of 2008. This law allows some eligible students in Grade
12 to become eligible for installment payments of the Michigan Promisescholarship by taking the national ACT as an optional assessment after
taking the complete Michigan Merit Exam (MME). For complete details about this option, and an easy-to-use flow chart to determine which
students may take advantage of this option, please visit the MME website: www.michigan.gov/mme

This information was made available to CHS and posted on our website on 1/5/09

Public Act 94 of 1999 (the Michigan Merit Award Scholarship Act) provides for a merit-based program for high school seniors to reward student achievement and to make postsecondary education more affordable. Beginning with the Class of 2000, students who meet certain criteria will be eligible for a Michigan Merit Award of $2,500 to be used at any approved postsecondary educational institution. Beginning with the Class of 2005, there will be an additional potential award of up to $500.

The Michigan Merit Award is available to all Michigan students (including public school, public school academy, nonpublic school, and home school students) who meet all eligibility requirements.

The Michigan Merit Award will first be available to students who were enrolled in the 11th grade in the 1998-99 school year (i.e., the graduating Class of 2000) and who meet all the eligibility requirements.

The Michigan Merit Award Board is established within the Michigan Department of Treasury to administer the program. The Michigan Merit Award Board consists of the State Treasurer, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Director of the Department of Career Development, and four public members appointed by the Governor. The Michigan Merit Award Board is responsible for developing the rules and processes by which the program will be implemented and administered.

• Alternate A: The student also scores in the 75th percentile or above on the ACT or SAT.
  
• Alternate B: The student also achieves qualifying scores on the ACT Work Keys job skills assessment test as determined by the Michigan Merit Award Board. Please note that under both Alternates, the student must take all four of the above-specified MEAP subject tests and achieve Level 1 or Level 2 on at least two.

The student must have graduated from high school or passed the General Educational Development (GED) test. The student must be enrolled in an approved postsecondary educational institution. There is also a requirement that the student must not have been convicted of a felony involving an assault, physical injury, or death.

For more complete information visit the Michigan Merit Award FAQ Website.

In 2008, the Merit Award changes to the Michigan Promise Award

Description
The Michigan Promise scholarship provides up to $4,000 to high school graduates for successfully completing two years of postsecondary education. All students who took the Michigan Merit Exam (MME) have the opportunity to receive up to $4,000 if they meet all eligibility requirements. Students who receive qualifying
scores (Level 2 or above) in each of the required test components are eligible to receive up to half of their scholarship in the first two years of postsecondary enrollment
(in installments of $1,000 each year).

Application
To claim the Michigan Promise scholarship installment payment for use in the 2008-09 academic year, an eligible
student must certify his/her scholarship by November 15, 2008. To claim up to a $2,000 final payment (for those
who received installment payments), or to claim the full $4,000 for those who did not qualify for the installment
payments, students should visit the Web site www.Michigan.gov/promise for an application form. Students are
responsible for notifying the Office of Scholarships and Grants of a change in their college choice.

Program Limits
Students must initiate use of their scholarship within two years of high school graduation and all installment funds
must be fully utilized within four years of initiation. Students in the class of 2008, who initiate their scholarship
in the 2008-09 academic year, must utilize all installment funds by the end of the 2011-12 academic year.
Students, who initiate their scholarship in the 2009-10 academic year, must utilize all installment funds by the end
of the 2012-13 academic year. Students must submit their application for final payment no later than
November 15 of the academic year following their last year of eligibility.

Eligibility
• Take the state assessment test1.
• Have not received a Merit Award under the Merit Award Act.
• Must certify his or her eligibility for a scholarship installment payment.
• Enroll at an approved Michigan postsecondary institution or a military service academy within two years
of becoming a high school graduate (two-year period would be extended for service in armed forces or
Peace Corps).
• Complete the postsecondary education requirements (associate degree, two-year certificate, vocational
education program2 or 50% of the academic requirements for a bachelor’s degree, which is 60 semester or
90 term credits) within four years of initial enrollment.
• Achieve a cumulative college GPA of 2.5 (for students completing vocational education programs that do
not record grades; proof of course completion is required).
• Be a high school graduate or have passed the GED or any other graduate equivalency exam approved by
the State Board of Education.
• Be a Michigan resident.

More Information
Visit www.michigan.gov/promise. Contact the Michigan Promise scholarship program, Office of
Scholarships and Grants, toll free at 1-888-4-GRANTS (1-888-447-2687) or e-mail osg@michigan.gov.

Students from Caledonia High School who qualified for the Michigan Promise Scholarship as of May, 2009 are:
(127 students have earned this award this year.)

Students from Caledonia High School who qualified for the Michigan Promise Scholarship as of May, 2008 are:
(144 students have earned this award this year.)

In 2007, the Merit Award changes to the Michigan Promise Award.

The Michigan Promise scholarship (Public Act 479 of 2006) signed in law by Governor Granholm on December 21, 2006, provides up to $4,000 to high school graduates for successfully completing two years of postsecondary education beginning with the high school graduating class of 2007.

Eligibility Criteria

* Must be a Michigan resident.
* Take the State Assessment Test; either the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP), or the Michigan Merit Exam (MME) depending on high school graduating class year as listed below.
* Enroll at an approved postsecondary institution in Michigan or a military service academy within two years of becoming a high school graduate (two-year period would be extended for service in armed forces or Peace Corps).
* Complete the postsecondary education requirements (associate's degree, etc.) within four years of initial enrollment at the postsecondary institution.
* Achieve a cumulative college grade point average of 2.5 (except for students completing vocational education programs that do not record grades).
* Be a high school graduate or have passed the GED or any other graduate equivalency exam approved by the State Board of Education.
* Certify his or her eligibility for a scholarship.
* Meets all other eligibility criteria.State Assessment Test Criteria
* Class of 2008 and Beyond
Students from the high school graduating class of 2008, and beyond, need to take the MME to qualify for the Michigan Promise scholarship.
  
* Class of 2007
Students from the high school graduating class of 2007 who have already taken the MEAP test and received qualifying scores for the Michigan Merit Award (notification received from the Office of Scholarships and Grants) already qualify for the Michigan Promise scholarship.
  
Students from the high school graduating class of 2007 who have already taken the MEAP test and have not received qualifying scores for the Michigan Merit Award are advised to retake the MEAP test in Spring 2007.
  
* Class of 2006 and Prior
Students from the high school graduating class of 2006 and prior are not eligible for the Michigan Promise scholarship. Students may be eligible for the Michigan Merit Award.Scholarship Amounts
* Students who receive qualifying scores on the State Assessment Test (MEAP or MME depending on high school graduating class year) may receive up to $1,000 per academic year for each of their first two years of college enrollment and up to $2,000 after the successful completion of two years of postsecondary education with at least a 2.5 GPA (associate's degree, two-year certificate, vocational education program or 50 percent of the academic requirements for a bachelor's degree).
  
* Students who do not receive qualifying scores on the State Assessment Test (MEAP or MME depending on high school graduating class year) may receive up to $4,000 after the successful completion of two years of postsecondary education with at least a 2.5 GPA (associate's degree, two-year certificate, vocational education program or 50 percent of the academic requirements for a bachelor's degree).
  
* Students completing a vocational training program requiring less than two years to complete may be eligible for a prorated scholarship amount.For More Information
For more information on the Michigan Promise scholarship, contact the Office of Scholarships and Grants toll-free at 1-888-4-GRANTS (888-447-2687) or e-mail osg@michigan.gov.
For more information on the MEAP or the MME, contact the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Educational Assessment & Accountability, toll-free at 1-877-560-8378 or email oeaa@michigan.gov.
Quick Links
 •  Michigan Promise Scholarship
 •  Michigan Education Trust
 •  Michigan Education Savings Program
 •  Michigan Merit Award
 •  Michigan Students First
 •  Michigan Engineering Incentive
 •  Michigan Advantage Consolidation Loan
 •  MI-LOAN Program
 •  MI Scholarships Online
 •  Michigan Postsecondary Handbook

Students from Caledonia High School who qualified for the Michigan Promise Scholarship as of May, 2007 are:
(136 Students have earned this award.)

Students from Caledonia High School who qualified for the Michigan Merit Award as of May, 2006 are:
(128 students earned this award)

Students from Caledonia High School who qualified for the Michigan Merit Award as of May, 2005 are:

Students from Caledonia High School who qualified for the Michigan Merit Award as of May, 2004 are:

Students from Caledonia High School who qualified for the Michigan Merit Award as of May, 2003 are:
(107 students earned this award)

Students from Caledonia High School who qualified for the Michigan Merit Award as of May, 2002 are:
(104 students earned this award)

Students from Caledonia High School who qualified for the Michigan Merit Award as of May, 2001 are:
(140 students earned this award)

Students from Caledonia High School who qualified for the Michigan Merit Award as of May, 2000 are:

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