Parent Resources

We are honored and excited to cheer for your children as they work towards a college credential, and we are here to answer any questions you have along the way. This page is designed just for parents and contains FAQs and the most common topics. If you have any questions that are not addressed here, please email info@detroitpromise.com and we’ll be happy to answer them.

Help Your Child Secure a Tuition-Free Pathway to College

Parent Resources

Looking for ways to support a future Detroit Promise recipient?

Share information with the student and build awareness of the scholarship. Sign up for emails and texts from Detroit Promise.
Explore college prep programs.
Stay up to date on financial aid.
Assist with the application process.
Plan ahead! It’s never too early to start planning for college.

College Prep Resources and Programs

Detroit College Match helps you and your child take a data-informed approach when selecting the best college for them. See what colleges your child matches with here.
View parent resources created by the College Board.
View checklists for academic and financial preparation through the Federal Student Aid.
View a list of college prep programs in Detroit.

Financial Aid Resources

- 8 Ways to Pay for College by Citizens

Frequently Asked Questions

9th-12th grade students who live in Detroit and attend a high school in Detroit can apply for the Detroit Promise. Students can create their own accounts and apply here.

Covers: The Detroit Promise arranges last-dollar funding for eligible students to cover the costs of tuition and mandatory fees. This means that any Pell and/or TIP funding must be applied to a student’s tuition and fees bill first. If an eligible balance remains at a four-year institution or community college, the institution will arrange for the remainder to be covered by gift aid.

*For the avoidance of doubt, all parties acknowledge and agree that the Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation’s sole obligation hereunder is to administer the Detroit Promise on behalf of the Michigan Education Excellence Foundation, and neither the Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation nor any of its affiliates have any other obligations hereunder, including, without limitation, any obligations for funding to the Member/Partner Institution universities and colleges or to the Detroit Promise Scholar students.

Does not cover: The Detroit Promise does not cover books, housing, supplies, meals, or non-mandatory fees. Students are responsible for these costs and should regularly apply for other scholarships to help cover them.

To become a Detroit Promise Scholar, graduating seniors must complete the following steps:  

Step One - Apply for the Promise

All eligible students should complete their Detroit Promise registration to confirm interest in receiving tuition assistance.

Step Two - Apply to Colleges/Universities

Submit your application to Promise's partnering two-year/four-year institutions.

Step Three - Submit Financial Aid Documents

Submit the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA), and make sure to list the partnering institutions you are considering.

Step Four - Register for Courses

Complete course registration to begin classes at a Promise partnering institution.

No, information about an individual student cannot be released to anyone other than the student, unless that student has already given us permission to share it with a parent or mentor. To approve a parent, guardian, or other individual, students should email info@detroitpromise.com with the person copied and we will be sure to reply all with the records.

We also understand that, in addition to attending classes, some students work during business hours. We recommend students call us during their break or send us an email. If they wish, they may copy a parent or mentor on the email, and we will be sure to reply all.

Legally, we are required to protect student data unless they grant permission for a parent to inquire. Furthermore, as students embark upon their college journey, it is important that they gain the skills necessary to speak for themselves and organize their own affairs. We are here to help students prepare for life after college and that includes encouraging them to be responsible for their own records.

No. We make it a point to visit every school in the city to register students during their senior year of high school. Sometimes students forget they have already registered with us. If a second account is created for a student, it causes long delays when students are trying to sign for the scholarship, and when colleges are trying to apply the scholarship to the student’s account. It is very important that students do not have duplicate accounts.

We can only release information about a specific student’s account to the student. Please have your child send us an email including their first and last name, date of birth, and the high school they attended, along with a brief message explaining that they would like confirmation of their registration. Our email address is info@detroitpromise.com. This email must come from the student; however, students are welcome to copy parents on all communications.

Seeing as Detroit Promise funding only helps with the cost of tuition and mandatory fees, students may wish to look for scholarships or job opportunities to help with the other costs of college attendance (i.e. books, dorms, meal plans, transportations, clothing).

Here are a few online scholarship search engines to get you started:

Your student’s financial aid office is another great resource for finding available scholarships and grants at your institution.

Are you a parent interested in returning to college?

Click here to learn more about Detroit Reconnect, an initiative to help adults who are pursuing or returning to higher education.