Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (seated) shows the signed legislation at Lawrence Technological University.
Photo courtesy of Michigan Executive Office of the Governor
On Tuesday, at Lawrence Technological University, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed bipartisan legislation establishing the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which will lower the cost of college by thousands of dollars a year for the vast majority of high school graduates. She also joined the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) to celebrate the one-year anniversary of MI New Economy, her vision to expand economic opportunity and prosperity for all Michiganders. The plan, unveiled last year at the Mackinac Policy Conference, sets metrics to grow the middle class, support businesses, and invest in communities.
“Today, I am proud to sign a bipartisan bill to establish the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and lower the cost of college for the vast majority of Michiganders,” said Whitmer. “These scholarships will build on the success of the Michigan Reconnect program and save the vast majority of high school graduates thousands of dollars a year as they pursue higher education at community college, private college, or a public university. We also celebrated the progress we made in the first year of MI New Economy, my vision to expand economic opportunity for Michiganders. I am proud of the progress we have made, and we met our goal to expand access to free or low-cost child care to 150,000 families and are on track to have 60% of our working age population earn postsecondary education or skills training by 2030 thanks to Michigan Reconnect and today’s scholarships. Let’s keep working together to meet the goals of MI New Economy and make Michigan a place where everyone can thrive.”
“These scholarships will allow more Michigan families and students to pay for career training at the school that best fits their individual career goals — whether that’s a trade school, a community college, or a university,” said Sen. Kim LaSata (R-Coloma). “Expanding the eligibility of this scholarship to cover traditional classroom education, as well as hands-on training at a skilled trades academy, is a great way to both strengthen and diversify Michigan’s workforce.”
“This much-needed boost in scholarship support for students across Michigan is truly transformational and represents opportunities for learners of all backgrounds to secure degrees and credentials at the institution of their choice with far less or no debt,” said Rep. Ben Frederick (R-Owosso), chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education.
“This appropriations bill represents a major step forward for higher education here in Michigan. While our state still has some catching up to do, Governor Whitmer and I remain in lockstep agreement that we must invest in Michigan’s students and our higher education institutions to achieve global leadership and put our students on the course for global competitiveness,” said Rep. Steckloff (D-Farmington Hills), Democratic vice chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education. “But more than that, as someone who worked in college student services for years, I am proud of the new Michigan Achievement Scholarship and what I know it can do to alleviate the financial stresses of the college experience for many Michigan families. Everyone deserves the chance to have a quality education, and I’m proud we can continue to provide that here in the Great Lakes State.”
“I applaud our state’s leaders for making such strong investments to support students and families across Michigan,” said Lawrence Technological University President Tarek Sobh. “Thanks to the programs we’ve heard about today and this new bill, thousands more Michiganders now have a path to achieve their educational goals and create a better life for their families.”
Under the program, Michiganders who demonstrate financial need will be eligible for annual financial aid from the state, up to $2,750 at a community college; $4,000 at a private college; and $5,500 at a public university.
The event also featured three panel discussions with local community and business leaders to discuss how the state can continue to make progress on other goals outlined in the MI New Economy plan.
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