“Earning a skill certificate or college degree puts more Michiganders on a path to prosperity. We are proud to partner with MCAN on this grant program to support organizations in reaching underserved communities and promoting Michigan Reconnect while it is temporarily open to thousands of more Michiganders,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea (left), director of MiLEAP. “By empowering these organizations’ tailored outreach efforts, we are ensuring that individuals in all Michigan communities have the opportunity to achieve their educational and career goals.” 

Michigan Reconnect allows students to earn a skill certificate or degree tuition-free at their local community college. The age expansion, funded by a $70 million investment included in Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s fiscal year 2024 budget and powered by federal funding from the Biden-Harris administration, currently lowers the age of eligibility from 25 to 21.  

Over 177,000 Michiganders have applied for Michigan Reconnect and are taking their first step toward a college degree, helping Michigan make progress toward the state’s Sixty by 30 goal to increase the number of working-age adults with a skill certificate or college degree from the current level of 51.1% to 60% by 2030. 

"The Reconnect Expansion Outreach Grants play an important role in increasing the enrollment of adult learners ages 21-24 in community colleges by engaging local organizations whose primary focus is on serving individuals and families of color and/or low-income communities," said MCAN Executive Director Ryan Fewins-Bliss (left). "The expansion of Michigan Reconnect is helping Michigan reach our Sixty by 30 goal by temporarily opening the program up to more than 350,000 more Michiganders." 

MiLEAP and MCAN awarded grants to support organizations in directly reaching Michiganders through door-to-door advertising, printing marketing materials to share within communities, email and texting campaigns, and attendance at community functions that serve community members.  

To date, 14 organizations have been awarded grants of $10,000 to support various target outreach efforts throughout the state including:  

• Telamon Corporation (Oceana County)
• The Reading People Capital Area Literacy Coalition (Lansing)
• The Etiquette Series (Detroit) 
• CapCAN (Greater Lansing)
• Ourspace 517 (Greater Lansing/Michigan)
• Monroe Public Schools (Monroe County)
• The ALIA Foundation (Metro Detroit & Ypsilanti)
• Thumb Health Partnership and GST Michigan Works! (Huron, Sanilac, and Lapeer)
• The Coleman Family Center (Midland County)
• St. Vincent and Sarah Fisher Center (Detroit)
• College and Career Access Center of Jackson (Jackson)
• The Women's Center of Greater Lansing (Lansing Eastside)
• Oakland 80 (Oakland County)
• Bay College (Upper Peninsula, Escanaba, Delta, Schoolcraft) 

“The Coleman Postsecondary Hub is honored to be selected as a Reconnect Expansion Outreach Campaign grant recipient. Located inside the Greater Midland Coleman Family Center, our hub serves as a place for community members to come and discover available opportunities to advance their educational path,” said Andrea Conquest, executive director of the Greater Midland Coleman Family Center. “We are proudly working with the Midland Area Career & College Access Network to host three Reconnect events that will allow community members to meet with representatives from Delta College and Mid-Michigan College. We are also utilizing these funds to send out Reconnect mailers to all Coleman households and to run a city-wide, door-to-door campaign in partnership with the Coleman Business Association.” 

For more information about Michigan Reconnect, visit Michigan.gov/Reconnect.