Committees

Dear Scholarship Applicants, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Staff, and County Board Members:

The Michigan County Social Services Association (MCSSA) and the Michigan County Social Services Consortium for Education and Training (MCSSCET) are pleased to inform you that the application process for the 2026-2027 Chuck Higgins/Mel Haga Memorial Scholarship is now open. Two scholarships in the amount of $2000 will be awarded.\

This scholarship is dedicated in memory of Chuck Higgins and Mel Haga. Chuck was a MDHHS county director who founded the MCSSA scholarship program and served as Association President. Mel was a county director who went on to dedicate his life and service to MCSSA as Executive Director.

Scholarship Processing

Scholarships will be awarded to juniors, seniors or graduate students in the field of social work, human services, or juvenile justice. Current employees of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services are not eligible to apply.

Scholarship applications will not be considered by the Selection Committee until all the following information is received via email by MCSSA/MCSSCET:

• Applicants must have their school’s Registrar’s Office directly email an official transcript documenting their classification and grade point average to MCSSA/ MCSSCET so that it arrives before June 30, 2026.
• The applicant’s status as the child, grandchild, niece, nephew, stepchild, step-grandchild, step-niece, or step-nephew of a MDHHS staff or board member, or an MCSSA/MCSSCET member.
• The name of the college or university the applicant will be attending.
• Undergraduate level students must have maintained at least a 2.75 grade point average. Graduate level students must have a grade point average of 3.0.
• Applicants who have received a previous award will be given consideration after all other applicants are considered.

Please attach the following to the completed application form:

• Three recommendation letters; one must be from an academic staff member from the college presently attending/attended.
• Personal resume
• Verification from the university registrar’s office of full-time enrollment for the fall semester

Forfeiture of Scholarship Award

• No longer meets the scholarship qualifications
• Is placed on academic and/or disciplinary probation
• Does not enroll full-time in a program of study for the semester/quarter in which the award is to be in effect

ALL COMPLETED APPLICATIONS ARE DUE TO THE MCSSA OFFICE BY JUNE 30, 2026

Candidates will remain anonymous from the selection committee members during their deliberations.

Recipients will be encouraged to be our guests at the Annual MCSSA/MCSSCET Conference Banquet in Frankenmuth on September 16, 2025, to receive their award. If they are unable to attend in person, they will provide a short video to thank MCSSA, and so that our members can get to know about them and their career aspirations.

For those not attending the banquet in person, checks will be mailed later in September to the address provided on the application.

Please contact us if you have any questions at 517-371-5303 or mcssa@mcssa.com.

Thank you,

Manny Cordova
MCSSA President

Christy Hilgers
MCSSA Scholarship Committee

mcssa@mcssa.com
517‐371‐5303