DEADLINE EXTENDED for College Visit Grants
Students have until January 26 to apply for a College Visit Grant from The Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee.
The Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) is seeking proposals to provide low-income, first-generation students in grades 6 – 12 in the Holland/Zeeland area with the opportunity to visit post-secondary education institutions in person so they can begin to visualize where they can continue their education after high school and to develop long term education goals that connect them with the work they are doing right now in high school. The overall goal of the grant program is to get low-income, first-generation students’ feet on the ground in college/post-secondary settings so the students can see and experience what they are actually like.
The YAC encourages applications that include the following:
§ Parent/Guardian Involvement – either through direct participation in the visit and/or pre/post visit activities
§ Combine visits to 2 or more post-secondary education institutions in one trip and provide opportunities for students to compare and contrast different post-secondary options
§ Serve low-income, first-generation students who have had little or no opportunity to visit post-secondary institutions prior to the trip
§ Engage students in small groups that provide opportunities for meaningful interactions with college students and program/school alumni
§ Pair college visits with Financial Aid seminars/information sessions
What can be funded?
Funding may be used for transportation for visits to post-secondary education institutions in Michigan or within a 200-mile radius of the Holland/Zeeland Area. If the length of travel requires meals outside of what is provided during campus visits, funding may be used for food as well. Visits must be completed by September 1, 2022. We recognize that due to the current COVID-19 surge this may not be feasible for all organizations. The YAC will take the current climate into consideration as you present your plan for a visit.
Applicants may request up to $500. If visits will include a financial aid education session/seminar either on the day of or within a few days of visits, organizations can request up to an additional $250 to offset the cost of this additional opportunity.
Who can apply?
Holland/Zeeland area middle schools, high schools, and youth serving nonprofit organizations that are tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, schools, municipalities and other governmental entities that serve a charitable purpose in the greater Holland/Zeeland area are eligible to apply for funding.
How to apply: Complete this linked application and submit no later than 5:00 pm on Wednesday, January 26, 2022. Applications must be signed by the staff person or volunteer who is responsible for organizing and leading the visit and the school principal or organization executive director. It is preferred that no more than one application from each school or organization be submitted. The Youth Advisory Committee will review all proposals, with final approval and notification of awards occurring in early February.
Application: Responses submitted through this application form cannot be saved. As such, we encourage applicants to draft responses in a word document before copying over to the form. The application will include the following questions:
§ Describe the college visit you have planned.
§ Which institutions will you visit, why, and when? What will happen during the visit? Please note specific departments/programs, student organizations and support services that will be part of the visit. Who from your organization will have primary responsibility for organizing and leading the visit?
§ How will students who fit the target audience for this grant program be identified and recruited to participate?
§ How many students will be involved and what grades will participate? Will there be any parent/guardian involvement? If so, please describe.
§ What form of transportation will be used for the visit? How will it be procured?
§ What activities will students (and potentially parents) participate in beforehand to prepare them for the visit? What activities will students (and potentially parents) participate in afterwards to reflect on the experience and identify individual next steps/goals?
§ Please describe any financial aid seminars or sessions that will be offered as part of this experience. How many students will participate, and will it be exclusive to students involved in the college visit? Will it take place prior to, during, or after the visit? Please share any other relevant details.
§ Provide the budget for the college visit and financial aid seminar, if included.
§ For what will you use the requested grant funding? List each item with cost(s). Be as exact as possible.
§ Will any additional funding sources or in-kind resources be used to the support the visit and financial aid seminar, if included?
Questions? Please contact Yah-Hanna Jenkins Leys at yjenkinsleys@cfhz.org or 616.994.8858.
We have extended the application deadline to Wednesday, January 26 at 5:00 pm: https://form.jotform.com/213413391235145