LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Michigan is accepting applications for tuition-free assistance for adults 25 and older to earn an associate’s degree or postsecondary certificate at their local community college or a private training school.
The program, called “Michigan Reconnect,” is being supported with an initial $30 million in state funding.
“To succeed as a state, Michigan must be a state of successful people,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said during a press conference Tuesday.
Applicants must be at least 25, have lived in the state a year or more, have a high school diploma or equivalent and not have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. More than 4.1 million residents could be eligible.
“Regardless of whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, we can all agree on the importance of making sure every Michigander has a path to a good paying job here in our state,” Whitmer said.
Click here to learn more or apply.
Do I qualify?
Free tuition is being offered at a resident‘s in-district community college where they can earn an associate degree or Pell-eligible skill certificate if they’re 25 years old and older.
To be eligible you have to be at least 25 years old when you applied, lived in Michigan for a year or more, have a high school diploma or the equivalent. You can’t have completed a college degree yet, so you can’t already have an associate or bachelor’s degree.
If you don’t have a high school diploma or equivalent, click here.
Note: If you attend college in the district where you live, tuition is free. If you attend a college in a district where you don’t live, Reconnect only pays the in-district part of the tuition and the student will need to pay the remaining balance.