Whitmer encourages high school seniors to complete FAFSA application
(CBS DETROIT) - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is reminding high school seniors that the FAFSA needs to be filled out by May 1 for priority consideration.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA for short, gives students access to financial assistance in receiving an associate or bachelor's degree.
Students who submit applications by May 1 are given priority consideration for the Michigan Competitive Scholarship and Michigan Tuition Grant. In addition to state assistance, the FAFSA gives students access to federal aid, including Pell Grants, student loans, work-study jobs and institutional grants.
Applications can be submitted after May 1, but students may not receive all the financial aid they would have been eligible for.
"Every senior should fill out their FAFSA to save thousands of dollars on the cost of community, private, or public college," said Whitmer. "By filling out this federal form, you can unlock grants, scholarships and other forms of assistance that can put you on a path to getting an associates or bachelor's degree right here in Michigan. This includes the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, a bipartisan scholarship to lower the cost of community, private, or public college by thousands of dollars a year—up to $27,500 over 5 years—for the majority of graduating seniors. You are probably eligible for more financial aid than you realize, and I encourage you to fill out your FAFSA ASAP!"
According to Whitmer, students in Michigan received more than $22.4 million in Michigan Competetive Scholarships and $31.5 million in Michigan Tuition Grants.
For more information and to fill out the FAFSA online, visit here.