Who is eligible for the Detroit Promise?

High school seniors who have both attended any high school in Detroit and lived in Detroit for at least your junior and senior year. Students must meet both requirements. All Detroit high schools are eligible (public, private, charter, parochial, etc.) if the school has a Detroit address. Students who attended multiple schools are eligible if all of the schools were located in Detroit.

 

Detroit Promise funding is not competitive. Every student who registers and meets the requirements will receive funding if their college determines they have an eligible funding gap. 

  • Attend any high school in the City of Detroit for junior and senior year and graduate from a Detroit high school in the spring of this school year. This includes schools operated by the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD), as well as self-governing, charter, private, alternative, home, and parochial schools. 
  • Be a Detroit resident for at least your junior and senior year. 
  • Successfully complete and submit the FAFSAby the federal deadline (June 30).
  • Check TIP eligibility with the State of Michigan Treasury by August 31.
  • Register for the Detroit Promise by June 30, this school year.
  • Be admitted to a participating institution.

Sign the Detroit Promise Authorization to Release (AtR) by May 1 of this school year.

  • Detroit high school in the spring of this school year. This includes schools operated by the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD), as well as self-governing, charter, private, alternative, home, and parochial schools. 
  • Be a Detroit resident for all four years of high school.
  • Have at least a 3.0 overall GPA by February 15 of this school year and through high school graduation.
  • Have at least a 21 ACT or 1060 SAT score by April 30 of this school year. Please note scores will only be accepted from exams that release scores to all test-takers on or before April 30. An exam with a score release date range that includes May 1 or later will not be accepted.
  • Successfully complete and submit the FAFSA by the federal deadline (June 30). 
  • Check TIP eligibility with the State of Michigan Treasury by August 31.
  • Register for the Detroit Promise by December 15, this school year.
  • Be admitted to a participating institution.
  • Sign the Detroit Promise Authorization to Release (AtR) by May 1 of this school year.

All students complete the same registration form. Thereafter, students should have their counselor or college advisor update their GPA and exam score in their Detroit Promise profile. Only the high school counselor or college advisor can indicate four-year eligibility. Students will receive an email immediately if they have been marked as eligible (be sure to check the spam box). Students should speak to their counselor or college advisor if they believe they have met the requirements but are unable to select four-year schools in their Detroit Promise profile.

  1. Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) at the end of every school year. SAP requires students to:
    • Maintain a 2.0 overall GPA at all times.
    • Pass at least 66.667 percent (about 2/3) of all credits registered for per year. For example, if a student registers for 24 credits (usually 8 classes) during the school year, that student must complete and pass at least 16-18 credits (about 6 classes) by the end of the school year. Please note, an institution’s requirements may be higher than 66.667 percent.
    • Remain on track to complete their program within 150 percent (time-and-a-half) of the time length of the program. For example, students completing a two-year degree will have three years to graduate.
  1. Be a full-time student who is registered in at least 24 credits per school year. To remain eligible, students cannot drop or fail more than 33.33 percent of their total courses for the year. A student can submit an appeal if they would like to attend classes part-time, take time off while reserving their scholarship, request summer funding, or request consideration for an extraordinary circumstance.

Students must: 

  • Maintain a minimum 2.5 overall GPA at all times.
  • Remain on track to complete a degree within four years. 
  • Be a full-time student, register for, and successfully pass at least 12 credits per semester (24 credits per school year). 

The Detroit Promise Path is a student success program that assigns a Campus Coach, as of Fall 2019, to all Detroit Promise community college students. Campus Coaches connect students with on-campus student resources, support their educational journey and personal growth, and assist them in achieving goals. Please note that while participation in the Detroit Promise Path is highly encouraged to support student success, not participating will not impact the student’s eligibility for Detroit Promise funding.

 

In addition to the benefit of having a dedicated, knowledgeable coach, each scholar participating in the Detroit Promise Path will receive a monthly stipend of $50 and be connected to a community of Detroit Promise scholars.

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