Wide swaths of northern Michigan have high levels of poverty and low levels of college education. In areas like Mio, Harrison and Kincheloe, upward income mobility — doing better than your parents — is as low as the poorest neighborhoods of Detroit and Flint.

The state awarded more than $558.9 million in state financial aid to more than 153,000 Michigan students during the 2024-2025 academic year, as detailed in the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential’s annual State Scholarships and Grants Report.

According to the Michigan College Access Network, 47.5% of Michigan adults have received either a degree or certificate, compared to 44.8% in 2019. However, if the current trend in postsecondary education holds, the state will reach 53.5% attainment by 2030, the network warns, falling well short of the goal.

“They can get their degree faster, and it’s cheaper because the student is paying nothing. If you can take 30 credits, that’s half an associate’s degree,” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, executive director of the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN).

The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential recently announced that it had awarded $10 million in grants to 67 school districts as part of its Universal FAFSA Challenge.

The awards honor regional leaders and education providers who are working to ensure students have access to high-quality, career-aligned Career and Technical Education programs

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer unveiled her final state budget proposal this week, drawing praise from education advocates who say the plan strengthens Michigan's commitment to student success.

Michigan College Access Network is using grant money to help prison education programs statewide. $750,000 from the Mellon Foundation will go to the Michigan Consortium for Higher Education in Prison (MiCHEP). The money will be used to hire an executive director for MiCHEP and start a sub-award program for the 14 colleges involved with MiCHEP.

A three-year $750,000 grant awarded to the Michigan College Access Network aims to strengthen and expand education programs in the state’s prison system. The grant will support the continued development of the Michigan Consortium for Higher Education in Prison, and will help bring humanities-centered education modules to incarcerated individuals across the state.

Two of the AmeriCorps programs in question were administered by the Michigan College Access Network. With the return of federal funding following a heated legal battle, AdviseMI and College Completion Corps have both now been relaunched.