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Counselor outlines $91,462.41 FAFSA grant and asks board to adopt policy tying FAFSA completion (or waiver) to graduation requirement
Summary
Counselor Monica Jackson said the district received a $91,462.41 grant through Michigan's My LEAP FAFSA Challenge and requested the board adopt a policy making FAFSA completion (or signing an approved waiver) a local graduation requirement so the district meets grant conditions by the June 30 deadline.
Monica Jackson, the district middle- and high-school counselor, told the Westwood Heights Board that the district has been awarded $91,462.41 through Michigan’s My LEAP FAFSA Challenge and asked the board to adopt a local policy requiring students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or sign an approved waiver as a condition of the grant.
Jackson explained that the grant funds are intended to increase FAFSA completion and support college and career readiness activities, including a college-and-career hub, staff training, FAFSA nights, targeted outreach, and college or certificate trips. She said the award was deposited and that one grant condition is that a board policy be adopted no later than June 30 to qualify for the funds.
Jackson emphasized that the proposed local requirement would not block students from graduating. "If they sign a waiver, then you are excluded and you're good to go," she said, explaining that waivers would be available for families that do not wish to provide financial information. Jackson described permissible waiver reasons and said district staff will review waiver requests and that the waiver process preserves graduation eligibility.
Board members raised concerns about parental privacy, whether the policy might stigmatize families, and how the district would administer waivers and outreach. Jackson said the grant is a one-time award and that planned uses spread the funds over multiple years to create sustainable programming. She also said FAFSA completion supports access to community college guarantees and certificates, not just four-year degrees.
The board did not vote on the policy at this meeting. Jackson offered to provide the board with model policy language and examples from other districts and to supply the itemized budget narrative for the award. The board must act before June 30 if it wants to accept the grant under the stated condition.
