Financial Aid Workshop November 2

Cook Family Foundation Posted on by

Applying for financial aid is perhaps the most important, and most complex, task many a high school senior and their family will undertake.  To help academically talented students sort through this process, the Cook Family Foundation is holding a workshop on Wed-nesday, November 2nd from 7-9 p.m. at the Baker College Welcome Center in Owosso.

1978896_10152568144744232_8367881271452503021_nA representative from the University of Michigan Office of Financial Aid will provide important information about qualifying for financial aid, as well as some useful tips on making college more affordable.  U-M is the only public university in Michigan to cover 100 percent of demonstrated financial need of in-state students.  Learn more (click here) about affordability of the University of Michigan.

While the workshop will provide particular insight to financial aid from the University of Michigan, the presentation will be applicable no matter what four-year university a student ends up attending. The workshop will cover the basics of the FAFSA  which was available as of October 1, 2016—this is the form used by all institutions of higher learning. To qualify for financial aid from UM, students and their families will also need to complete a CSS Profile. Both of these applications are now available; the sooner they are submitted the more quickly a student will get a financial aid offer.

Students and/or their parents are invited to attend the November 2nd workshop.  While it is not necessary to RSVP, please contact us if you have questions (call us at: 989-725-1621 or email us at bruce@cookfamilyfoundation.org). To keep up-to-date on financial aid, scholarships, and other UM information follow us on Twitter @GoBlueGoBruce

Leaders and Best of Shiawassee Region

Cook Family Foundation Posted on by

photo credit: Michael DL Jordan

Twenty-seven of the most academically accomplished high school seniors from the Shiawassee County region have been nominated for scholarships to the University of Michigan by the Cook Family Foundation.  One of the students will be selected to receive a four-year, full-tuition scholarship from Bruce and Jacqueline Cook.

In order to assist them with their college selection, a number of the nominees recently attended an overnight trip to the University of Michigan where they met with admission officers, took a tour of the campus and stadium, attended a class, and had the opportunity to spend time with students from the Shiawassee County area presently enrolled at the University of Michigan.

The students from eight area school districts were nominated because of their high grade point average and test scores; all are outstanding students.  Based on their academic records, the promise of future academic success, and demonstrated leadership capabilities, one of these nominees will be selected to receive the Bruce and Jacqueline Cook Scholarship, which covers all tuition for an undergraduate education at the University of Michigan.

Each of the nominees will receive at least a $2,500 scholarship to the University of Michigan from the Cook Family Foundation.  In addition to these nominees, the Cook Family Foundation provides a scholarship to every local student who applies to the University of Michigan, is admitted, and then enrolls.  

The Cook Family Foundation was started in 1978 by Donald and Florence-etta Cook.  Bruce and Jackie Cook of Owosso have followed the lead of Bruce’s parents by making a legacy gift to the University of Michigan to establish an annual scholarship for an academically talented student from Shiawassee County.  

2016 CFF UM Overnight Trip

2016 CFF UM Overnight Trip

If they apply and are admitted to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, the following students will be considered for the Bruce and Jacqueline Cook scholarship: from Byron, Rachel Dvorak, Shane Geiser, Hannah Hooley, Amanda Magnan, and Madison Montgomery; from Chesaning, Jozalynn Boucher, Elizabeth Hoornstra, Sarah Minnis, and Noah Moeggenborg; from Corunna, Noah Aurand, Kaylynn Crawford, Kaylee Euler, Hunter Glew, Noah Jacobs, Courtney List and Tyler Quirk; from Laingsburg, Paden Graham; from New Lothrop, Paige Alkire, Natalie Delemeester, Brandon Kline, and Tyler Ruddy; from Ovid-Elsie, Kayla Duckert; from Owosso, Dalton Brown, Usman Kahn, Sarah Landes, and Olivia Reale; and from Perry, Bradley Cronk.

Past recipients of the Bruce and Jackie Cook Scholarship have included Mitchell Lawrence from Byron in 2016, Nick Miller from Laingsburg in 2015, Nolan Wendling from New Lothrop in 2014, Emily Feuka from Perry in 2013, Sam Whaley from Perry in 2012, Adam Stewart from Laingsburg in 2011, Valerie Foster from Byron in 2010, Adam Dingens from Corunna in 2009, Randy Piper from Owosso in 2008, Dan Frechtling from Perry in 2007 and Kendra Frye of Owosso in 2006.

To learn more about our scholarship program, follow this link.

 

 

 

 

 

Who will be going to UM this year?

Cook Family Foundation Posted on by

DLP-0380 It keeps getting harder to get into the University of Michigan, but this year 27 students from the Shiawassee County region were admitted and will be attending this most prestigious university. And, as of August 1, another group of high school seniors have started on the path to gaining admission and scholarships.  Do you know any local students with strong academic records?  If so, the Cook Family Foundation would like to help them in their college search.

The Cook Family Foundation provides a scholarship to every student from ten high schools (Byron, Chesaning, Corunna, Durand, Laingsburg, Morrice, Ovid-Elsie, Owosso, and Perry) as well as any other resident from Shiawassee County who is admitted to and enrolls in the University of Michigan.  The process starts now as we work with local schools to identify qualified students.  Those students are invited on a trip to Ann Arbor this fall.  See our scholarship page (click here) for more details.

Can I Afford UM? This is a big concern for many families, and we are committed to helping Shiawassee area students not only get in to UM, but also to get the most help they can.  In addition to a scholarship from the Cook Family Foundation, many local students get significant financial aid to attend.  In fact, the University of Michigan is the only public university in Michigan that promises to cover 100 percent of demonstrated financial need of in-state students (read more from UM here).  Because of this financial aid, in-state tuition, and the significant earning potential of UM graduates, Money Magazine (click here) recently ranked UM as the #2 college in the US for the value of its degree.

DLP-9821 (1)How Do I Start?  UM, along with other top schools, uses the Common Application in the admissions process.  That application becomes available August 1, and we encourage high school seniors to start the process before school starts so that they can gather necessary records, finish a draft of essays, and line-up teacher recommendations.  The UM Office of Undergraduate Admissions has lots of information and assistance available (click here).  We also are available to answer questions about the application, financial aid and scholarship process in person (contact info here), on our website (click here), and on Twitter (follow us @GoBlueGoBruce).

Of course, the most qualified applicants have been working toward admission to a top school throughout their high school careers. Excellent grades, a strong curriculum, and high test scores just don’t happen senior year.  It takes four years of hard work and planning, and the Cook Family Foundation supports promising students through the Shiawassee Scholars program, which is run by the Shiawassee Regional Education Service District (click here for information)

Did you Get Our Newsletter?  You can download and read our most recent newsletter (click here) for a complete list of this year’s scholarship winners and photos of all the most recent Shiawassee Scholars.  If you would like a hard copy, contact us and we will add you to the mailing list.