ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – A large state grant is helping a U.P. college make higher education accessible for students at any stage of life.
Bay College has received a $1 million College Success Go Big grant from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP).
“The State has invested about $45 million into these initiatives,” explained Cindy Gallagher, Bay College’s Vice President of Workforce Innovation and Strategic Partnerships. “For us to receive a million dollars here at Bay College—a small, rural community college—it’s a big win for us. It’s a big win for our students, it’s a win for our staff and faculty, and it’s a win for our community.”
According to Gallagher, the money will allow Bay to “scale up” some of its existing resources and programs, including professional development for faculty and staff, career services, and Competency-Based Education (CBE).
“That’s an initiative that’s happening really across the country, and Bay College is leading the way in the state of Michigan with CBE,” she said. “We have two programs running as Competency-Based.”
Funds will also be used to strengthen the college’s prior learning initiatives.
“Which really gives adult students a chance to look at what they already know—the skills they have, credentials they maybe have earned in the workplace—and counting that for college credit,” Gallagher said.
The $1 million grant is part of Michigan’s Sixty by 30 initiative, which aims to help 60% of adults earn a college degree or credential by 2030. By investing in opportunities like credit for prior learning and Competency-Based Education, Gallagher says Bay can help adult learners fit a college education into their lifestyle.
“We know students come to us with all different types of barriers, whether that be they’re working, they have family, or maybe they’re first-generation,” she said. “They need that flexibility in their learning. Bay College really responds to those needs and tries to remove those barriers for students.”
Bay College can put its MiLEAP funds to use as soon as the first of the year, so the grant comes just in time for a new semester, which starts on January 13.
