What is College Bound Michigan?
The need for College Bound Michigan (CBMI) could not be clearer. It’s hard to apply to and attend college, no matter how you look at it. From keeping track of forms and deadlines to figuring out how to transition from a high school to a college campus, students need help to make college a reality. CBMI aims to help do just that by bringing together different components that help ensure college preparedness and success.
The campaign kicks off with Michigan College Month, where students focus on solidifying what they want to study, where, and actually submitting college applications. It then transitions into the College Cash Campaign. Through this campaign, students work to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and secure scholarships, grants, and additional aid opportunities. Finally, the campaign moves to Decision Day, a time to celebrate students and their postsecondary education plans after graduation. When all three components are brought together, students, and all of Michigan, are more likely to succeed.
College Bound Michigan Components
Michigan College Month (October)
Michigan College Month is part of the American College Application Campaign, a national initiative with the goal to provide every graduating high school senior the opportunity to apply to college and for financial aid. Special focus is placed on assisting students who would be the first in their families to attend college and students who may not have otherwise seriously considered applying to college. Michigan College Month can open the door for students by encouraging them to take the most significant steps toward college in their senior year. Michigan College Month emphasizes the relationship between applying to and paying for college and helps break down some of the most complex and commonly cited barriers to attending college.
College Cash Campaign (November 1-March 1)
The goal of the Michigan College Cash Campaign is to encourage a school-wide rally around FAFSA and scholarship completion to help students find cash for college from November 1 through March 1, annually. This initiative is a part of the suite of statewide initiatives that helps students navigate the college-going process during their senior year. MCAN works to support schools in increasing the percent of students who complete the FAFSA and scholarship applications through the College Cash Campaign.
College Decision Day (Late April-Mid May)
College Decision Day is inspired by the NCAA's National Signing Day to reinforce that excellence in the classroom should be given as much pomp and circumstance as excellence as an athlete. College Decision Day is Michigan's adoption of National College Signing Day, a program of Former First Lady Michelle Obama's Reach Higher initiative which now sits with Better Make Room at The Common Application.