FYIT

The John Seita Scholarship

Fall 2008

The Foster Youth and Higher Education Initiative at Western Michigan University is a comprehensive effort that involves many partners-on campus and in the community. On-campus partners include faculty and staff from many student and academic units (e.g., admissions, financial aid, housing, academic support, counseling, day care, etc.). Community partners include community colleges, middle and high schools, foster care agencies, and foster parent associations. The success of the initiative is shared by the energy, effort and talent of the many partners involved.

As part of the Initiative, WMU is offering the John Seita Scholarship, which is named for a three-time Western Michigan University alum (B.A., M.A., Ed.D) who grew up in foster care. Today, Dr. Seita is an associate professor at Michigan State University and maintains great pride in his achievements at WMU. Click here to read about Dr. John Seita's biography.

The John Seita Scholarship was created to help WMU students who have aged out of foster care. This award covers undergraduate tuition only and students must file their financial aid applications (FAFSA) every year. There is an additional application for the John Seita Scholarship.

The selection criteria for the John Seita Scholarship include:

Complete admission application file (application, high school transcript, ACT or SAT scores(s), and application fee) received in the Office of Admissions.
Accepted as freshman or transfer student to WMU
Student must have been in foster care or be a ward of the state at the time of high school graduation, or eligible for Education Training Voucher (ETV).
Must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit to Financial Aid.

Once a student has received the John Seita Scholarship, it can be renewed as long as the student files a FAFSA every year, continues to live on campus and maintains satisfactory academic progress. Students who are eligible for more than one scholarship for first-time students will be awarded the one with the highest value.

The Seita Scholars Program

Students who are awarded the Seita Scholarship will become part of the Seita scholars program, which aims to promote the success and well-being of students throughout the undergraduate education experience. Recipients of the John Seita Scholarship must:

Reside on WMU's campus.
Agree to basic conditions that are known to promote student success (e.g., follow WMU rules for academic life and campus living and paying bills on time, maintain a minimum GPA);
Enroll in a First Year Experience Seminar specifically selected for Seita Scholars; and,
Enroll in two other designated general education courses specifically selected for Seita Scholars.

In addition, recipients of the John Seita Scholarship will have the opportunity to serve as members on the Student Advisory Group of the Foster Youth and Higher Education Initiative at WMU, or offer other services for the benefit of the initiative and future Seita Scholars.

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