Student resources

• Banking

  Why are Bank Accounts So Important??

  They are Safe!

  Why should you hand over your hard-earned money to a bank? Because your money is protected there! Without a bank account, you could lose your money during an emergency, like a bad storm or fire.  Also, without a safe place to keep your money, you may become a victim of robbery or theft.  Money deposited in a bank is protected by the full faith and credit of the United States Government. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures your money up to $100,000. FDIC makes sure that even if your bank's CEO goes crazy and loses all the bank's money, the government will step in and give you your money back up to $100,000.  Savings accounts and some checking accounts offer another perk -- you can earn interest on the money you deposit. Your mattress or top-secret hiding place can't make such promises.

  It Saves You Money!

  Using check cashers may seem more convenient than having a checking account, but those services cost you a lot more money in the end.  Check-cashing stores can charge you up to five percent or more of the check amount simply to cash the check. A recent study by the Massachusetts Division of Banks showed that, on average, people will pay four to forty times more in fees to check cashers in order to cash payroll checks and write money orders than they would pay using a basic bank checking account.  If you make less than $40,000, this can add up to more than $1,000 a year!

  It's Convenient!

  With a checking account, you can deposit your checks and access your money for little or no cost.  You can save money by paying bills with checks, on the Internet or by direct debit, and avoid paying for money orders. Bank accounts also make getting paid simpler. You can arrange for your employer to direct deposit your paycheck automatically into your bank account.  You can use your debit card to make purchases at stores or to withdraw money from ATMs, reducing the need to carry cash.  You can also keep track of your spending on the Internet, by phone or at the ATM. And if you are extremely paranoid, you can check your account online every hour if you want to!

  It Helps You Plan for the Future!

  Some people find managing finances easier with a bank account. Looking at your bank statement makes creating a budget easier. Without a bank account, it is much more difficult to save your money to reach long-term goals, such as buying a home, starting a business or investing.  Studies show that people with bank accounts are more likely to save and move up the economic ladder to financial security.

  Contact the Campus Coaches to help you set up a secure account!

   

• Clothing

  THE FOSTER CLOSET OF MICHIGAN

  Michele Austin, President of The Foster Closet of Michigan, has reached out to TIP Wayne State to let us know that CHAMPS students can get clothing and other items free of charge from The Foster Closet of Michigan.

  If you would like more information about The Foster Closet, you can call their Wayne/Washtenaw County Office at (800) 554-4966 ext 204.

• Food

  BRIDGE CARD

  You may qualify for a bridge card and access to food assistance from the State of Michigan as a participant of CHAMPS.

  In order for a person in student status to be eligible, you must meet one of the following criteria:

  • Employed for at least 20 hours per week and paid for such employment.
  • Participating in a state or federally-funded work study program (funded in full or in part under Title IV-C of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended) during the regular school year.
  • A single parent enrolled full-time in an institution of higher education who cares for a dependent under age 12. This includes a person who does not live with his or her spouse, who has parental control over a child who does not live with his or her natural, adoptive or stepparent.

  For help determining if you qualify for food assistance, please contact, Marla Garmo at 313-577-0063.

  Click here for the full Bridges Eligibility Manual.

  FOOD PANTRY

  CHAMPS offers access to a fully stock food pantry and frozen meals to eat between classes. If you are in need of any dry or canned goods or a quick bite to eat between classes, please stop by our office or call (313) 577-0063, to receive food.

  The W Food Pantry

  The W Food Pantry partnering with Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

  To help our students address their basic life needs so they can continue to be successful in the classroom, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' Conner Service Center in Wayne County is providing a caseworker on campus. The caseworker will be available four days a week to assist currently enrolled Wayne State students in accessing local, state and federal social services. These services include food subsidies and assistance with rent and utility, childcare and healthcare applications.

  For assistance, visit:

  Welcome Center Room 252
  Monday 9 a.m. to noon
  Tuesday 1 to 4 p.m.
  Wednesday 9 a.m. to noon
  Thursday 1 to 4:00 p.m.

  The W Food Pantry
  TheW@wayne.edu
  doso.wayne.edu/foodpantry
  Sunday, 2 to 6 p.m.
  Monday through Thursday, 4 to 8 p.m.

• Foster Care Transition Toolkit

  This toolkit serves to inspire and support youth currently in foster care and young adults who have aged out of care to pursue college and career opportunities. As students prepare to transition to adult life in today's economy, it's important to be prepared to independently make decisions, advocate for personal needs, manage financial or health concerns as well as secure housing and transportation. These systems are difficult to navigate alone. Recognizing that these systems may be challenging and that the transition from foster care can be confusing, this toolkit includes tips and resources to help youth and young adults tackle social, emotional, educational, skills and resource barriers. To download a pdf version of the toolkit, click here or visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at http://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/foster-care/youth-transition-toolkit.pdf.

  U.S. Department of Education, Foster Youth Transition Toolkit, Washington, D.C. 2016.

• Financial Toolkit

  The Financial Empowerment Toolkit for Youth and Young Adults in Foster Care, developed by the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration on Children, Youth and Families and the Office of Community Services, is designed to provide caseworkers, Independent-Living skills providers, foster parents and other supportive adults with strategies and resources to critically evaluate and improve their ability to promote the financial capabilities of youth in foster care. The toolkit is a compilation of lessons learned, best practices and practical tools, which can be used together or separately. It is aimed at those working with youth under the age of 18 and young adults preparing to transition out of foster care, and the content and tools can be tailored to meet stakeholder needs based on the intended outcomes of their services and the characteristics of the populations they serve.

  Click EMPOWER! for more information

   

  An additional resource to help you gain financial literacy skills is this resource created by Money Geek; click here to access that resource! 

• Housing

  Helping Individuals Go Higher! (H.I.G.H.)

  The HIGH (Helping Individuals Go Higher) Program began in 2013 with a goal to help homeless, precariously housed and financially challenged students to persist in their goal to earn a degree from Wayne State University. 

  For more information or contact:

  HIGH Program

  Beecher House

  5475 Woodward Avenue

  Detroit, MI  48202 

  Office phone: 313-577-9933

  Fax: 313-577-1069 

  WSUHIGHProgram@wayne.edu

  Major Housing Assistance Reform Bill Passes Congress

  View article here: The bill makes changes to the project-basing of housing choice vouchers.

   

• Legal

  Having a juvenile record can crush the job prospects of a young person exactly the same way having a criminal record does. Last year it got easier to set aside a juvenile record in Michigan. Setting aside your record, sometimes called expunging, means it will no longer be public and won't show up on a background check.

  Not everybody who committed an offense as a juvenile can set aside their record. The state isn't willing to clear records it considers too long or too serious. The state will only set aside juvenile records for people who:

  • Don't have any federal convictions or criminal convictions in another state
  • Don't have more than one crime that would have been a felony if committed by an adult
  • Don't have more than three misdemeanors. Two things to know about this:
  • If you have one crime that would have been a felony then you can only have two misdemeanors to qualify for expungement.
  • If your record has several acts committed in a row over 12 hours or less, they'll count as one offense as long as there were not violent crimes or weapons possession charges involved

  You also have to wait to file any paperwork until a year after any sentence is over or until age 18, whichever is later. If you don't know exactly what's on your record, get a copy for $10 from ICHAT (the Internet Criminal History Access Tool) here.

  If you want to try to set aside your record:

  Of course, there's a form for that (form JC-66). Before you fill out the form you'll need to get fingerprinted at a local police station. Ask for a fingerprint card and fill it out completely. The station sends this to the state police to check your records so they and the FBI can compare your prints with their records. Get ready to spend up to $50 on this part of the process.

  Going back to court:

  You'll need to go back to the court where your juvenile offense was adjudicated to get certified copies of the offenses you want to set aside. You can also file your paperwork at that court. It pays to be nice to the clerk of the court! The clerk has all the information to best help you with questions you have about the process, which is listed below:

  • You need a certified copy of each offense you want to set aside. A certified copy shows the state the document comes directly from the court, each of those copies cost around $10 each. You need more copies of these for your application, but they don't all need to be certified.
  • It makes sense to fill out the application at the court where you're going to hand it in since you need to sign in in front of the clerk.
  • When you turn in the form you'll get a date for your hearing. It's likely to be a week or so after you turn in the application. (If you're trying to clear more than one offense you might need to fill out more than one application).
  • Frank Vandervort from the University of Michigan's juvenile justice clinic says if a person is eligible to set aside their record it's usually successful, but that's not a promise.

  If a Google search on your name turns up mugshots on a website like mugshots.com, you'll need to contact them once your record has been set aside and ask them to take it down.                                                    

  How to find help:

  Vandervort's clinic has lawyers and law students working on juvenile justice issues. It's one place to call if you're running into trouble trying to set aside a juvenile record.  

  There's also a list of legal organizations that might be able to help young people find lawyers to help them through the process of getting a record cleared.

  If you've had problems setting your record aside:

  Tell us about it. You can email infowire@michiganradio.org or call us at 734-763-0538. Others might be able to learn from your experience.

  Infowire fills the information gap and meets the news needs of families struggling to make ends meet. Get Infowire by texting INFOWIRE to 734-954-4539 or email infowire@michiganradio.org.

• Mentoring (Peer & Career)

  Career Mentoring

  The CHAMPS career mentoring program offers our students the opportunity to create a relationship with a professional in their desired work field. Students are matched with a graduated professional who works in a field similar to their study or desired career. This gives students the opportunity to learn pertinent skills required for their field, receive shadowing experience in their field, gain professional advice and network with other professionals. "Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction"

  FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BECOMING A CAREER MENTOR, contact us at champs@wayne.edu or 313-577-0063

  Learning Community

  The CHAMPS Scholars Learning Community provides resources and supports to students who have had a history of placement in the foster care system. All students who participate will have an opportunity to engage in community outreach and leadership opportunities including public speaking, event planning, community service, direct engagement with high school-aged foster care youth, and networking opportunities to interact with business professionals, policymakers and other community leaders at the local, state and federal level. 

  A Learning Community gives you the advantages of a small college learning environment with the resources of a major research university. In Learning Communities, small groups of students with similar interests work closely together in a "community of learners." Students, along with advanced student mentors and a faculty advisor, study, socialize and problem-solve together.

  Why should I join a Learning Community?

  When you join a Learning Community, you will be part of an innovative program that integrates courses with the campus experience. With your student peer mentors and faculty advisor, you will:

  • Develop leadership skills through your interaction with your team.
  • More easily explore your academic interests – whether you're sure of your major or are still deciding, you will have the opportunity within your peer network to explore your options. 
  • Form new friendships, which will give you support in your new environment.

  Peer Mentoring

  As a Wayne State learning community, CHAMPS peer mentoring program is dedicated to pairing students together to create mentoring relationships that help create a supportive and encouraging environment to newer or younger CHAMPS students. Student mentors help their mentees to navigate campus life, get acclimated with the CHAMPS program and be an extra support through the school year. We also plan fun events for our learning community members to attend each semester to spend time to get to know each other.

  FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Marla Garmo at 313-577-0063

• Scholarships

  FOSTERING INDEPENDENCE PROGRAM

  The Fostering Independence Program is available to foster care youth who have aged out or who do not meet the DHS-eligible guidelines. The grant can also be given to students who do meet DHS-eligible guidelines and allows CHAMPS students to receive up to $2500 per semester to offset student loans.

  For more information, contact:  Marla Garmo at (313)577-0063 or champs@wayne.edu.

  TUITION INCENTIVE PROGRAM

  The Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) was established in 1987 under the Annual Higher Education Appropriations Act as an incentive program that encourages eligible students to complete high school by providing tuition assistance for the first two years of college and beyond.

  MICHIGAN EDUCATION AND TRAINING VOUCHER

  The Michigan Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program provides up to $5000 each year to eligible students who were in focare case to assist with college or vocational training expenses.

  Eligibility Requirements:

  • in foster care, due to abuse or neglect on or after their 14th birthday,
  • were adopted from foster care on or after their 16th birthday 
  • juvenile justice youth who were placed in an eligible foster care placement under DHS for care and supervision,
  • have a high school diplomaattendtends an accredited college or vocational program.

  Students must also receive their first ETV prior to their 21st birthday and may be eligible up to their 26th birthday ( or 5 years total) provided they received a 2.0 GPA and do not drop more than one class per semester. 

  Michigan Education and Training Voucher (ETV)

  FOSTERING FUTURES SCHOLARSHIP

  Distributed through the Michigan Department of Education, Student Scholarships and Grants, students pursuing their first bachelor's degree are eligible to receive $1500 per semester, for a total of $3000 each year toward books, housing and tuition.

  Eligibility Requirements:

  • Attending a Michigan College or University
  • Spent time in Michigan's Child Welfare System after the age 13
  • Undergraduate education only
  • No upper age limit
• Social Support

  Every fourth Sunday, The Michigan Chapter of the Foster Care Alumni of America meetings are held. 
  For more information contact fcaa.michigan@gmail.com OR
  Follow them on Facebook here:https://www.facebook.com/FCAADetroit/

  
  MYOI

  The Michigan Youth Opportunities Initiative is a partnership between the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative and the Michigan Department of Human Services. The program was created to improve outcomes for youths transitioning from foster care to adulthood. It brings together community members, public and private agencies, and resources that are critical to enhancing the success of young adults who are transitioning or have transitioned from the foster care system.
  MYOI provides financial training and bank accounts for enrolled youths. Each youth has a personal savings account and an Individual Development Account which the Michigan Youth Opportunities Initiative will match 1:1 for the purchase of an asset such as a car, or first month's rent and a security deposit. 
  
  Training: Asset training provides opportunities for youth to learn how to maximize the Individual Development Account, make successful asset purchases and gain independent living skills.
  
  For more information regarding Michigan Youth Opportunities Initiative, click here.

• WSU Academic Success Center

  Meet with a Learning Specialist to strengthen your study skills; attend tutoring and Supplemental Instruction sessions to reinforce course material and learn techniques to master difficult concepts; participate in study skills workshops to develop new strategies to better manage your time, take notes, improve concentration and more. The ASC is located in suite 1600 Undergraduate Library (UGL). 

  Contact:
  www.success.wayne.edu

• WSU Student Disability Services

  SDS' mission is to ensure a university experience in which individuals with disabilities have equitable access to programs and to empower students to self-advocate in order to fulfill their academic goals.

  Contact:
  http://studentdisability.wayne.edu

• WSU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

  ​Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Wayne State University provides FREE mental health evaluation and treatment for currently enrolled WSU students. 

  Confidentiality is strictly maintained. 
  The first step in accessing services is a triage which is usually handled on a drop-in basis. Students just need to come to our offices on the 5th floor of the Student Center Building on campus. Triages usually take about 45 minutes and are primarily to identify the presenting problems, degree of clinical urgency, and determine if CAPS is the right provider. Referrals are made for students who may be better helped elsewhere. Students will then be scheduled for an intake appointment with a CAPS counselor (not necessarily the same clinician who conducted the triage) who will conduct a more in-depth assessment and recommend a course of treatment.

  Most students are seen for individual therapy, however, group therapy, psychiatric care, psycho-educational workshops, couples counseling, and family therapy are also offered.

  All services at CAPS are provided at NO COST. For couples and family counseling, one of the participants must be a student. 

  Because of the high demand for mental health services, we maintain a waiting list at certain times during the year. However, it is our goal to see students as quickly as possible.
  
  Contact:
  http://www.caps.wayne.edu

• WSU Campus Health Center

  The Campus Health Center provides a wide range of primary healthcare services to keep Wayne State students healthy and ready to learn. Below are some of the healthcare services we provide. 
  Illness Care
  Preventative Health Care
  Routine Health Care
  Health Promotion
  
  
  Campus Map

   

  Contact: 

  https://health.wayne.edu/

• WSU Dean of Students Office (DOSO)

  The Dean of Students Office (DOSO) at Wayne State University creates a dynamic campus community that develops and serves our diverse residential and commuter student population, as well as our global community, by:

  Enhancing the academic experience through co-curricular programming Developing tomorrow's leaders in the urban landscape of Detroit Encouraging civic engagement through community service in the city of Detroit Promoting civility on campus and citizenship in the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan Instilling school spirit and pride

  Contact:
  doso.wayne.edu

• WSU Career Services

  Career Services is dedicated to providing resources targeted to meet the career needs of our students, alumni, employers, and university community with a common sense of purpose that shapes their future.  

  We work diligently to promote student retention and success through experiential learning-based programs, university engagement, the assessment of learning outcomes, and collaborations with external organizations.

  We invite you to explore our programs and services in an effort to enhance your career options.

  Contact:
  https://careerservices.wayne.edu/

• WSU Office of the Provost

  The Office of the Provost provides leadership, sets academic goals and assists in planning and facilitation for around 370 programs through 13 schools and colleges. We encourage knowledge creation and research through multiple other units, including:

  Centers and Institutes 
  University Libraries
  Wayne State University Press
  Office for Teaching and Learning

  Contact:
  http://provost.wayne.edu

• WSU Educational Opportunity Center (EOC)

  The Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) provides free academic, vocational, career and financial aid information to first generation college students wishing to pursue a program of post-secondary education.

  The Educational Opportunity Center is a community-based program with support from secondary, post-secondary, community and government agencies. The project services 1,000 adult clients annually from our campus office and various community site offices in the target area.

  Contact:
  http://federaltrio.wayne.edu/eoc