LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – In Lansing, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and state legislators have expanded eligibility for the Michigan Reconnect program. It’s designed to give financial assistance to Community and Tribal College Students, the program will now cover eligible students over the age of 21.
October also marks the beginning of the new 2024 fiscal year. With the largest education budget in state history, Governor Whitmer has announced new funding towards the Michigan Reconnect program. Reconnect was created in 2021 to support people going back to school or wanting to earn a 2 year degree or certificate.
Steve Robinson, President of Lansing Community College said the program’s has assisted over 10,000 student a Tribal and Community colleges around the state, giving sometimes a tuition free route through two year programs.
With the start of new fiscal year, the age to qualify has now been lowered to 21, which opens up the program to over 350,000 more Michiganders. To qualify you must also be enrolled in a Community or Tribal College, have complete The FAFSA, have lived in Michigan for at least a year, and have a high school diploma.
More about Reconnect and the criteria: www.michigan.gov/reconnect
Governor Whitmer says that when she took office, she set a goal to have 41% of Michiganders having earned a post-secondary degree or certification, and that since then, the number has surpassed that, to over 50%.
“Since the launch in February of 2021, more than 130,000 people have applied,” Governor Whitmer said, “And our goal is to make sure that we have 60% of Michiganders who have earned a post secondary certificate or training by 2030.”
All of Michigan’s 31 public Community and Tribal Colleges take the reconnect scholarship, including Bay College, Gogebic, and the Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College. The deadline to apply for Michigan Reconnect is Friday, November 15th 2024.
