Bridgman High School

News for Seniors

Michigan Promise Scholarship

The Michigan Promise Scholarship was recently signed into legislation for students graduating with the class of 2007 and beyond.  The Michigan Promise Scholarship is worth up to $4,000 for high school graduates who successfully complete two years of post secondary education.  Students who receive qualifying scores on the Michigan Merit Exam may receive up to $1,000 per academic year for their first two years of post secondary education and up to $2,000 after the successful completion of two years of post secondary education.

Seniors who are eligible to retest have the option to retest in the fall or the spring.  The 2007 fall administration will be conducted on Saturday, Oct. 27th, Tuesday, Oct. 30th, and Wednesday, Oct. 31st.  The 2008 spring administration will take place on Tuesday, March 11th, Wednesday, March 12th, and Thursday, March 13th.  Students who are interested in retesting need to contact the Guidance Office.

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.

Deadlines for College Applications

Application deadlines vary from college to college but the general rule is that students should submit their college applications before or during November and December of their senior year. Students should bring their completed applications to the Guidance Office, and the Guidance Office will send out the applications along with an official transcript and a school profile.  

• Students who complete a college application online are reminded to download the counselor portion of the application and submit the form to the Guidance Office.  We will complete the form, attach a transcript, include our School Profile and send all three forms to the college or university.

Portfolio Project Requirement

In order to complete the Bridgman High School Graduation Requirements students must create a Portfolio.  Seniors will need to present their completed Portfolios at Portfolio Day on Friday, May 9, 2008.  At Portfolio Day, students will be required to participate in at least three simulated job interviews with business professionals who will be in attendance at the event.  Students who have not completed their Portfolios will not be eligible to participate in the Graduation Ceremonies.  The portfolio must contain a resume, two letters of recommendation (at least one non-school related), a list of personal and professional references (at least three references), and one writing sample (at least one page in length).

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

The universal form for applying for financial aid is the FAFSA. The FAFSA is submitted after January 1, 2008. In order to qualify for financial aid from the State of Michigan the forms must be received by March 1, 2008.  The FAFSA can be filed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov .   You sign your FAFSA with a U.S. Department of Education PIN available at U.S. Department of Education - The PIN Web Site.

Scholarships

Along with applying for financial aid students should complete a scholarship search.   A scholarship search should include:

• A free scholarship search available on numerous financial aid web sites (see Helpful Web sites).

• A contact with the financial aid office of the college or university you are planning on attending for a list of available scholarships. Many schools post the list on their school's web site.

• Acquiring a list of the scholarships that have been sent to the Guidance Office. The listing includes any scholarship applications that we have on file and is updated weekly beginning in November. The list will include many of the scholarships offered by local clubs and organizations.

2007-2008 Local Scholarships will be posted in January or February.