The Ferris Youth Initiative was developed to increase higher education opportunities for young people who are low-income orphaned or who have aged out of the foster care system. A major objective of our program is to provide support that promotes success and general well-being of our participants throughout their undergraduate experience while attending Ferris. Pairing our participants with a faculty or staff mentor is one way of accomplishing this objective. Recipients of the FYI Scholarship will receive up to $4,000 per year, to be applied to any direct cost at Ferris State (tuition/fees, room/board, and/or books/supplies). The FYI program is limited to 20 students.

Program eligibility/affiliation criteria:
• Be accepted for admission to Ferris State University.
• Be 24 years old or younger by January 1 of the year they will enroll for classes.
• Provide documentation to verify their orphaned status (orphans only).
• Qualify for the Educational Training Voucher (ETV).
• Submit Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Demonstrate unmet need, as determined by the FAFSA.
• Be enrolled and attending classes on the Big Rapids campus.
• Reside in University Housing for the first 2 years in the FYI program.

Highlights of majors, programs, departments, and activities: Ferris has the fewest number of large classes among Michigan’s 15 public universities, with only 1 percent of classes having more than 50 students. This allows for more direct contact with faculty, more hands-on learning and experimentation and greater student engagement. More than 50 percent of Ferris classes have fewer than 20 students, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 16-to-1. The University has at least 140 degrees that align directly with in-demand occupations in the categories of business, finance and management; administrative and clerical; computer science and engineering; social service; education and training; health care practitioners; health care technology and support; protective service; and construction, production and repair. With more than 180 degrees from associate to Ph.D., Ferris collaborates with industry partners to assure your education is relevant, preparing you for a rewarding professional life.

Be sure to check out our FSM HEC Webinar Series Getting to Know FSM Higher Education Consortium: Ferris State University FYI Program Ferris Youth!! This webinar highlights the Ferris State University FYI Program and how it offers support to students with experience in foster care in postsecondary access and success.