Dear Friend,
As your state Senator and neighbor, I know the importance of making sure Michigan’s children receive the best education possible. Receiving additional support in the classroom or having access to programs that make getting a college degree more accessible opens the doors of opportunity and sets our youth up for future success. I am fighting every day to make sure we are prioritizing funding for our schools so that our children and our state will have a promising tomorrow.
In this newsletter, I am proud to share how we are continuing to build on historic budget investments in Michigan’s students and schools, information about financial aid programs offered through the state and federal government, some great tips on how to foster your child’s academic success, and more.
If there’s anything I can do to help you and your family, please feel free to reach out to me and my office. If we cannot assist you directly, we will direct you to the appropriate department or resources that can.
You can contact me by phone at (517) 373-7748, by email at SenMCavanagh@senate.michigan.gov or through my website online at SenatorCavanagh.com.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Filling out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can save you thousands of dollars a year off the cost of community, private, or public college. You can unlock grants, scholarships, and other assistance to put you on the path to higher education right here in Michigan.
One of the new ways you can save money is through the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, a bipartisan scholarship established to lower the cost of community, private, or public college by thousands of dollars a year — up to $27,500 over five years — for most graduating seniors.
All you need to do to qualify for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship is fill out your FAFSA — that’s it. Visit fafsa.gov to fill out your information.
In addition to filling out your FAFSA, students can apply for grants and scholarships through the MI Student Aid’s website.
Access your MI Student Aid Portal: michigan.gov/mistudentaid/missg
Michigan’s 2024 state budget saw historic investments in our students, teachers, and schools. It’s our ongoing goal to ensure we are meeting the needs and interests of students, educators, and families everywhere. That’s why we implemented the state’s first-ever “Opportunity Index” equity funding formula that invests more dollars into districts based on their concentration of poverty, ensuring students and schools with the highest level of need are prioritized. We also allocated $100 million to the MI Kids Back on Track tutoring program, which helps support students at risk of falling behind their peers.
As legislators have worked to finalize the 2025 budget, my Democratic colleagues and I have focused on building on the momentum we started in 2024. We have prioritized the input of residents, communities, and organizations from around the state, using those perspectives to craft this budget. There’s a continuous, overwhelming need to invest in
Michigan schools to ensure students receive the support they need to stay successful throughout their time in school and beyond.
On March 12, 2024, the Michigan Senate acted in a bipartisan manner to pass Senate Bills 567 and 568, a comprehensive bill package that I proudly cosponsored to help identify children who present signs of dyslexia and provide evidence-based intervention to help them achieve literacy. Dyslexia is the most common learning disability, affecting up to one in five kids in every classroom. It can have profound effects on literacy and overall educational achievement. Students with characteristics of dyslexia can become strong readers with early identification and evidence-based reading intervention.
Since its passage in the Senate, this legislation has since been referred to the House Committee on Education, where it currently awaits further deliberation.
Staying hydrated is part of good nutrition, which is crucial for student success during the academic year. Our Filter First legislation (Senate Bills 88 and 89) that passed into law in 2023 requires all Michigan schools and childcare centers to implement a Drinking Water Management Plan, including installing and testing filtered bottle-filling stations or filtered faucets on outlets designated for drinking water. By the end of the 2025-2026 school year, all Michigan schools will have approved water filters on all fixtures used for students’ drinking water.
This legislation has widespread support from health and environmental experts. No parent should have to worry about their child being exposed to lead poisoning at school or daycare, just as no student should have to worry about the quality of water coming out of their drinking fountain. My colleagues and I are always working to improve the lives of Michigan children and parents, and I’m proud to have cosponsored this important legislation.
Help Me Grow Michigan
Help Me Grow Michigan aims to help parents and guardians connect with
early childhood services offered in their county, including connections to resources, developmental screenings, answers to questions, early childhood programming, and parenting support.
Women, Infants, and Children
Administered by the Michigan Dept. of Health & Human Services, the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program is a health and nutrition program that serves low- and moderate-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are found to be at nutritional risk. For more information, call 2-1-1.
Early On® Michigan
Early On® Michigan is a program available to any family with a child who is a newborn or as old as age 3 who has a developmental delay or an established medical condition. For free information and resources about your child’s development, call (800) 327-5966.
We know that when our kids have the supports needed to help them succeed in school, we are setting them up for successful futures as well. That’s why our Democratic Majority secured $160 million in the Fiscal Year 2024 state budget to provide a year of free breakfasts and lunches to all Michigan public school students.
Senate Bill 500 would make this provision permanent, ensuring students have access to free school meals every year, which fosters a healthy, supportive learning environment. This bill passed out of the Senate Committee on Education and awaits further deliberation on the Senate floor.