Other Financial Aid Programs

SPECIAL POPULATIONS GRANTS

GENERAL INFORMATION

“Special populations” refers to occupational students with barriers to educational achievement and includes the following categories: single parents and single pregnant women, displaced homemakers, nontraditional job trainees, economically disadvantaged, individuals with disabilities, individuals with limited English proficiency, and academically disadvantaged.

Assistance for special populations is funded through the Michigan Department of Education under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998. The purpose of the assistance is to remove obstacles to students’ training for employment.

Funds are available for the following attendance costs: Tuition, fees, required books, supplies, and uniforms.

This financial assistance represents one of many supportive services available to special populations. Other services include counseling, tutoring, help with study skills, accommodations for students with disabilities, car pool and child care exchange lists, and referrals to community agencies.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for assistance, applicants must:

1. Be enrolled in an approved occupational program of study or occupational courses. Funding is not available for transfer programs including the associate degrees in arts, science, fine arts, business administration, criminal justice - generalist, and computers.
2. Meet program income guidelines. Total gross family income must be at or below the income level for reduced lunches at our local schools.
3. Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form at least 30 days prior to the semester they wish to attend; if this deadline is not met, they must submit the FAFSA to the Financial Aid Office or to Student Support Services.
4. Complete and submit the application for special populations grant once a year.
5. Be a member of at least one of the seven eligible population groups:
   1. Single Parent (including Single Pregnant Woman): an individual who
      1. Is unmarried or separated from a spouse, and has a minor child or children for which the parent either has custody or joint custody; or
      2. Is unmarried or separated from a spouse and is pregnant
   2. Displaced Homemaker: an individual who is unemployed or under-employed and is experiencing difficulty in obtaining or upgrading employment AND:
      1. Has worked primarily without remuneration to care for a home and family, and for that reason has diminished marketable skills;

         or

      2. Has been dependent on the income of another family member but is no longer supported by that income;

         or

      3. Is a parent whose youngest dependent child will become ineligible to receive assistance under Part A of Title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) not later than 2 years after the date on which the parent applies for assistance under this title
   3. Nontraditional Job Trainee: an individual who is preparing for an occupation for which individuals of one gender comprise less than 25 percent of the people employed in that occupation and generally include careers in computer science, technology, and other emerging high skill occupations.
   4. Economically Disadvantaged: an individual who needs special assistance in order to succeed and are Pell recipients and/or are referred by faculty or staff as requiring services.
   5. Individual with a Disability: an individual with a disability as defined in Section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, that is, someone with an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
   6. Individuals with Limited English Proficiency: an individual who has limited ability in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language and whose first language is not English or who lives in an environment where English is not the dominant language.
   7. Academically Disadvantaged: an individual whose competencies and/or grades are below average as determined by secondary and/or current assessments and who need special assistance, for example, a developmental course or tutoring.

NOTE: Awards are based on the availability of funds and on federal guidelines. Priority is given to those with the greatest financial need. No minimum credit load is required for eligibility, and students who are in default of a student loan may be eligible.

APPLICATION PROCESS

All applicants are required to:

• Complete and submit the FAFSA each year.
• Complete and submit the Special Populations grant application once each school year.
• Participate in Kirtland’s placement testing, if applicable.
• Develop an EDP
• Meet with an academic advisor to schedule courses.
• Have a current resume approved by the Career and Employment Services office.

To apply or to receive more information contact:

Student Support Services

Kirtland Community College

10775 N. St. Helen Road

Roscommon, MI 48653

989-275-5000, Ext. 252 (Betty Ehinger) ehingerb@kirtland.edu

Administration Center, Student Services

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Opportunities are available for students who wish to perform community service. Examples include, but are not limited to, welfare, social services, transportation, public safety, crime prevention and control, recreation, work in service opportunities or youth corps, specified services for agencies identified by the National and Community Service Act of 1990, mentoring activities, support services for disabled individuals, health care, child care, literacy training, education, housing and neighborhood improvement, rural development, and community improvement. For further information, contact the Financial Aid Office.