 Last week Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II joined the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) to kick off “Reach for the Pie,” a statewide initiative and contest, in partnership with Hungry Howie’s and Michigan Credit Union League, encouraging students and parents to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to lower the cost of college and unlock valuable financial aid opportunities such as the Michigan Achievement Scholarship.
The goal of the initiative is to encourage Michigan students to complete the FAFSA to increase access to student aid. By completing the FAFSA, Class of 2024 students will be eligible to enter the contest for a chance to win free Hungry Howie’s pizza for a year. The prize will be awarded to 100 randomly selected students. The deadline to enter the contest is June 30, 2024. MiLEAP’s MI Student Aid will post the list of winners on reachforthepie.org on or after August 1, 2024.
We're asking for your help to share this initiative with your students, families and colleagues. To assist you in this effort, please utilize the resources available in our Digital Toolkit.
Thank you for supporting students and families with their FAFSA completion and for helping us spread the word about Reach for the Pie. For more information visit reachforthepie.org!
MI Student Aid is excited to announce that FAFSA data has been uploaded to the MiSSG system! High school counselors can now view FAFSA completion data for their students and also see which students are eligible for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship based on their Student Aid Index (SAI) number. Be sure to check out the new SAI column in the FAFSA Completion Data screen in MiSSG for Michigan Achievement Scholarship qualifying students.
 We encourage all high school counselors to access the MiSSG system to help identify students at your school who still need to complete the FAFSA. And don't forget, you can also identify students eligible for the Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) in the MiSSG system. We recommend high school counselors periodically check their FAFSA completion data in MiSSG, as MI Student Aid will continue to upload FAFSA data as it's received. As a reminder, if you need access to MiSSG, your principal or superintendent must electronically sign and submit a 2023-24 Data Use Agreement (DUA). Thank you for helping to ensure that all Michigan students know about state financial aid programs and resources!
Last week, MI Student Aid offered a Mini Webinar focused on new FAFSA data in the MiSSG system, and FAFSA resources for students and families. A recording of the FAFSA Updates Mini Webinar is now available to view on our website at your convenience. We encourage high school counselors to check out all the Mini Webinar recordings!
 We need your support in getting the word out! We’ve created digital toolkits for high school counselors and school administrators with resources to help inform students and families about the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and the Reach for the Pie contest. Be sure to check out the various resources available including, flyers, newsletter and announcement scripts, social media posts and more. These toolkits were developed to increase awareness and motivate students to solidify their postsecondary plans. We hope you find the resources provided helpful!
Keep up with all of the latest updates and resources related to the 2024-25 FAFSA at michigan.gov/fafsainfo. The information available includes:
- How to create a FSA ID
- Contributor information
- Determining dependency status
- Guidance for parents with no SSN
- Documents needed while completing the FAFSA
- What to expect next
- Helpful videos and tutorials
- FAFSA Help resources
- And more!
We will continue to share helpful FAFSA updates and reminders as this information is updated.
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MI Student Aid houses a database of Michigan place-based scholarships. A Michigan place-based scholarship means that one of the scholarship components is linked to a Michigan school, county, city, or region. Utilize the MI Scholarship Search tool on the MI Student Aid website to look for scholarships in your area!
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The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential is not affiliated with National Merit Scholarship Corporation or its registered trademarks National Achievement®, Achievement Scholarship®, or Achievement Scholar®.
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