Due to advocacy work and successful legal challenges lodged against President Donald Trump’s administration, funding for several programs has been restored, allowing the Michigan College Access Network to relaunch the programs last month.

Millions of dollars in AmeriCorps funding has been restored in Michigan, putting high school and college counselors back on campuses around the state after a temporary funding pause earlier this year. The financial boost allows programs like AdviseMI to resume operations, including at East Lansing Public Schools, where college adviser Candace Moore works with students to explore college options and plan for their futures.

While some states found only a portion of their portfolios terminated, Michigan was one of 14 states that had its entire AmeriCorps portfolio eliminated. That includes $2.1 million to MCAN, which resulted in the termination of 60 AmeriCorps workers across four programs, many of whom were embedded in high schools and two-year colleges.

Federal funding cuts at Americorps could affect the number of Americorps members serving in schools and colleges in Southwest Michigan, as well as recent graduates who hoped to join the program. In April, the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, cut 400 million dollars from Americorps.

At least 85% of AmeriCorps staff were put on administrative leave this month, with at least some notified last week that they would be let go because of a reduction in force, The Associated Press reported.

A total of $400 million in AmeriCorps grants were axed, according to America’s Service Commission, a nonprofit that represents state and national service commissions, including funding for food pantries and disaster relief programs in areas impacted by recent natural disasters. The majority of AmeriCorps’ staff was also put on administrative leave in mid-April.

Michigan is expected to lose about $15 million in grant funding for AmeriCorps projects, which range from assisting seniors to reading tutors for children, as part of a larger effort by the federal government to slash the agency’s overall budget.

The Michigan College Access Network is kicking off AmeriCorps Week Mar. 9-15. During this week, AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps seniors are encouraged to volunteer their time across the community at local high schools, colleges and businesses. It’s an opportunity for members to share their experiences about their time serving and educate others on the program.

Movement on initiatives expanding such tuition-free programs throughout Michigan kicked off in earnest with the 2019 announcement of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Sixty by 30 initiative, whose goal is to increase the number of working-age adults with a skill certificate or college degree to 60% by 2030.

Graduates of Bay and Arenac high schools are invited to the FAFSA night at the Delta College Planetarium, 100 Center Ave., from 4 to 7 p.m. Wed., Aug. 7. The Bay Area Community Foundation, in partnership with the Bay City Public Schools and the Bay-Arenac ISD, received a grant through Michigan College Access Network to fund the free event, which is open to anyone who graduated in 2024 and earlier from a Bay or Arenac county high school.