(LANSING) - Michigan is climbing out of the basement when it comes to college financial aid, after a major expansion of scholarships and grants over the past several years. According to the state's Scholarships and Grants Annual Report, Michigan awarded more than 375 million dollars in financial aid to nearly 120,000 students during the 2023-2024 academic year. Reporting from Bridge Michigan shows that support went to traditional college students, adult learners without a degree, essential workers, children of veterans, and youth in foster care. One of the largest programs is the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, created in 2022 for recent high school graduates from low- and middle-income families. During the 2024-2025 school year, the program awarded nearly 267 million dollars to more than 62,000 students. It also includes the Community College Guarantee, which offers free tuition at Michigan's 31 community and tribal colleges.
Adult learners are also benefiting through the Michigan Reconnect, which helps residents 25 and older return to college. Since launching in 2021, more than 82,000 students have enrolled, with over 13,000 earning a degree as of November. Another program, Futures for Frontliners, used federal funding to provide college tuition for frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, these initiatives led to a nearly 24-fold increase in state financial aid between 2019 and 2024, moving Michigan from 49th to 34th nationally. State officials say the new funding has also boosted college enrollment and FAFSA completion rates.
The scholarships are designed to help fill high-demand careers -- including electricians, software engineers, registered nurses, and other jobs expected to be in strong demand through 2032. State leaders say the message from students was clear: access to education needed investment from Michigan.