LANSING, Mich. –The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) today announced that the Michigan Association of State Universities (MASU) has been awarded a $255,000 College Success Grant to support the state’s public universities and community colleges in collaborating more efficiently. The funding will support an automated system for sharing course and grade data, allowing students who transfer from a community college to a university to receive an associate degree once credit requirements are met, a process known as “reverse transfer”.
“This grant builds upon the progress MiLEAP has fostered to achieve a more seamless student transfer experience throughout Michigan,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of MiLEAP. “When fully implemented among the state’s community colleges and public universities, reverse transfer will create a more comprehensive statewide framework that will lead to more individuals being rightly recognized for their postsecondary educational achievement and greater progress toward Michigan’s goal of having 60% of residents possess a credential of value.”
This initiative allows students who transfer between the state’s universities and community colleges to receive their associate degrees while simultaneously completing their bachelor’s degrees. An automated system from the National Student Clearinghouse streamlines the exchange of course and grade data, strengthen collaboration across postsecondary institutions, and ensure more students are recognized for their academic achievements. This support helps students stay on track to complete their programs and earn a valuable credential in the labor market.
“Making transfer more seamless, transparent, and effective for students is a priority of all 15 public universities in Michigan. Students will be able to transfer when they are ready, knowing that their work on the way to a bachelor’s degree will be rewarded with an associate degree, providing them with an important credential for the talent marketplace,” said Daniel Hurley, chief executive officer of MASU. “This grant will facilitate an even higher level of collaboration among our state’s public universities and community colleges. Students, employers, and taxpayers will all benefit from this initiative.”
“Michigan’s community and tribal colleges have energized recent efforts to implement reverse transfer capabilities at these institutions,” said Brandy Johnson, president of the Michigan Community College Association. “Working with our university partners, we are building out an automated system that will recognize a milestone achievement for thousands of Michiganders, qualifying them for better paying jobs as they pursue a bachelor’s degree as part of their educational and occupational journeys.”
The $255,000 award is part of MiLEAP’s $45 million Student Success Grant program, the state’s largest-ever initiative aimed at improving student outcomes at Michigan’s higher education institutions. In this cycle, 11 institutions received nearly $5 million in College Success Grant funding to implement and support campus reforms that increase retention, improve completion rates, and expand pathways to credentials.
For more information about Student Success Grant opportunities and to view previous rounds of awards, visit MiLEAP’s Office of Higher of Education webpage.
To subscribe to email updates on these opportunities, visit bit.ly/60×30-grants-
