Michigan Launches Free Community College Tuition Program

LANSING, MI — Michigan is launching a new program that will allow for Michiganders 25 and up to attend community college for free.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the launch of the $30 million Michigan Reconnect program Tuesday, calling it the largest effort in state history to ensure that more than 4.1 million state residents who do not have a college degree will have an opportunity to earn a tuition-free associate degree or skills certificate.

“All Michiganders deserve a pathway to a good-paying job, whether they choose to pursue a college degree, technical certificate, or an apprenticeship,” Whitmer said Tuesday during a virtual news conference. “Michigan Reconnect will connect thousands of Michiganders to good-paying jobs and connect businesses with the talent they need to thrive in their communities.

"I’m proud of the hard work that has gone into creating this historic new opportunity and look forward to continuing bipartisan work with lawmakers toward our goal of ensuring 60 percent of Michiganders will have a postsecondary degree by 2030.”

To be eligible for Michigan Reconnect, you must be at least 25 years old, have lived in Michigan for a year or more, have a high school diploma and have not yet completed a college degree (associate or bachelors).

Michigan Reconnect will pay the cost of tuition for eligible adults who want to pursue an associate degree or skills certificate at their in-district community college, according to a news release issued along with the announcement Tuesday. The program also offers skills scholarships to help cover the cost of tuition through more than 70 private training schools with 120 programs that offer certificates in high-demand careers in industries, state officials said.

State residents can submit applications online either on a computer, tablet or mobile device.

The scholarships are accepted by all Michigan community colleges and are available to eligible adults who are already enrolled in their local community college, according to Michigan officials. The program pays the remaining balance of tuition and mandatory fees after other state and federal financial aid have been applied. For those who choose to attend an out-of-district community college, Reconnect will pay the in-district portion of tuition.

“Reconnect offers a path for so many Michiganders hoping to begin – or complete – their education and career journey,” said Susan Corbin, the acting director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. “This program, like so many others we’re focused on, will help expand opportunity for all Michiganders and make Michigan a better place to live, work and play.”

Funding for the Michigan Reconnect program was introduced in Whitmer’s FY 2020-21 budget proposal. A bipartisan group of legislators approved $30 million in state funding.

Michigan employers’ ability to find highly skilled and capable employees is more difficult than ever and is cited as a top concern in the most recent Michigan Future Business Index Report, Whitmer said.

State officials said that as of 2019, only 41 percent of Michigan’s working-age residents had an associate degree or higher, placing Michigan at 31st in the nation. The average age of Michigan’s 365,232 residents currently enrolled at a community college is 25.7 years old, and more than 36 percent are 25 or older, according to the Michigan Community College Association.

A 2020 analysis by the American Association of Community Colleges reported that the median earnings of full-time employees with a high school degree is $40,510 annually, while those with an associate degree make $50,079 per year, based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

More than 8 in 10 parents of a Michigan high school student expect their child to earn a college degree, but 70 percent said that high costs are a barrier, according to a survey commissioned by the Michigan Association of State Universities.