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Utica Community Schools says $1.5 million state grant is boosting FAFSA completion and college access
Summary
Superintendent Robert Monroe told the board that a $1.5 million state grant is funding one-on-one FAFSA coaches, a March Madness event and signing day; the district reports FAFSA submissions are up 16%–40% depending on the high school.
Superintendent Robert Monroe reported at the March 16 board meeting that Utica Community Schools is using a $1.5 million state grant to expand one-on-one FAFSA assistance and increase college access for graduating seniors.
Monroe described three students who recently secured full scholarships and said district FAFSA coaches meet individually with seniors to complete the federal form, a process he said generally takes about 15 minutes and requires a parent component. "This is what our vision in UCS is about: empowering all students to change their future," Monroe said, summarizing the district’s rationale for the program.
District staff are running a March Madness outreach event, providing coaching and hosting a signing-day celebration. Monroe told the board the effort is yielding measurable results: FAFSA applications have increased by 16% to 40% compared with last year, with the variation depending on the high school.
The superintendent said the grant is from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential and is being applied to staffing and outreach to support completion, though the transcript uses that department name as stated by district staff. The board received the report as part of the Superintendent’s Report; no vote was required.
Next steps reported to the board include continuing the one-on-one coaching model and tracking application completion trends across high schools. The district did not provide a school-by-school breakdown at the meeting.
