College & Career: Life after High School

What is an Educational Development Plan (EDP)?
An Educational Development Plan (EDP) is a document showing a student’s current interests, abilities, and career pathways. It is a comprehensive plan that covers not only academic and career interests, but talents and skills.
Why have an EDP?
The State of Michigan requires that students must be given the opportunity to create an EDP beginning in the 7th grade and revise it appropriately throughout their educational schooling thereafter. An EDP is designed to assist students to identify career development goals, skills and talents, and learn about the various educational opportunities available to them after graduation.
How can students start/update their EDP?
Counselors meet with students starting in 6th grade. In 6th grade, students are introduced to Xello. In 7th grade, students begin their EDP and Talent Portfolio on Xello. In 8th Grade, they discover which Careers match best with their interests. 8th graders also update their EDP and create educational and career goals.
Looking to explore in-demand careers and discover the degrees or credentials needed to pursue them? Use Pathfinder, Michigan’s online career exploration tool that uses current information related to employment and the workforce, as well as data about the relationship between education and training programs, to help you learn about career paths and jobs in the state.
Start the journey at https://pathfinder.mitalent.org/resources

You are encouraged to explore Xello with your child. Students have access to their accounts and can login at home and explore their EDP with you. Your child can log in to his or her account via desktop or mobile device to share what they have learned about themselves, the world of work, and their future options.

To learn about which Michigan colleges and universities participate in State of Michigan financial aid programs, click link.
Download and order MI Student Aid publications, click here.
Template to be FAFSA ready for high school seniors
MI Student Aid Outreach form- great for setting up student TIP talks, Financial Aid presentations, etc. from a representative.
MI Student Aid Scholarships. Click here.