Michigan offers free tuition for community college students in new program
Nearly 100,000 Michigan high school graduates graduated last year, and about half of them enrolled in college or university. Advocates are hoping the other half of recent high school graduates will also be interested in a new state program offering free tuition.
Michigan’s Community College Guarantee provides community college students with up to $4,800 in tuition assistance per year for up to three years. Students can also receive an additional $1,000 for living expenses if they are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant.
The state-subsidized program has four requirements: A prospective student must have graduated from high school, have lived in Michigan since July 1 of the previous calendar year, have completed a FAFSA form and be enrolled as a full-time student at one of Michigan’s 31 two-year colleges, said Brandy Johnson, president of the Michigan Community College Association.
The program will apply retroactively to students graduating in 2023 and is important for state residents to get a degree after high school, she said.
“There are virtually no new jobs being created that don’t require a college degree if you want a shot at middle class and prosperity. Education after high school is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s an absolute necessity,” Johnson said. “Students who drop out of high school are overwhelmingly likely to live in poverty. And we want to help students build a life of prosperity and ultimately earn a living wage to support a family here in Michigan.”
The program can help any high school graduate earn a tuition-free associate degree or certificate of competency from a community college in the district, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office said last week when promoting the program as part of the 2024-2025 state budget, which takes effect Oct. 1.
“I am proud of our work to lower the cost of higher education and enable more working families in Michigan to earn a college degree or pursue professional training,” Whitmer said.
Michigan has spent taxpayer money on several programs to lower the cost of college for its residents, including Futures for Frontliners, a scholarship offered to essential workers during the pandemic, Michigan Reconnect for adults with some college experience but no degree, and the Michigan Achievement Scholarship for high school graduates.
“This education budget goes even further and fulfills our Michigan Guarantee, which ensures that every high school graduate in Michigan can earn an associate degree or credential at their community college tuition-free,” Whitmer said. “Across the state, more and more Michiganders are going back to school and gaining the skills they need for high-skilled, higher-paying jobs. We will continue working to reduce the barriers to economic prosperity and help more families make it in Michigan.”
The Community College Guarantee is part of the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which received $330 million in the most recent budget, said Laura Hall, director of policy, communications and engagement in the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential.
Whitmer’s administration has set a goal of having 60% of residents with a college degree by 2030. A report from the Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation earlier this year showed that 51.1% of Michigan residents ages 25 to 64 had a college degree or certificate in 2022. That’s up from 50.5% in 2021 and 49.1% in 2019, when Whitmer set the goal. Michigan ranks 37th in the U.S. in educational attainment compared to other states.
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