Michigan eyes extended Reconnect eligibility for tuition-free college

• The Michigan Reconnect Program pays tuition and fees for adults 25 and older
• The state is temporarily allowing people as young as 21 get tuition-free community college 
• A state leader said the state may find a way to extend that eligibility through end of year

LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's administration is hoping to extend expanded eligibility for the Michigan Reconnect program through at least the end of this year, a state official said Wednesday. 

The program provides access to tuition-free college for adults without a college degree. 

As launched in 2021, eligibility was limited to students at least 25 years old. But lawmakers last year temporarily expanded eligibility for students beginning at age 21.

“We're hoping that this year we'll be able to stretch that until the end of December,” Beverly Walker-Griffea, the director of the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential said in a Wednesday interview. 

“I can't say that officially, but it's something that we'd like to do so that our students can then go ahead and get into next semester's classes as well with Reconnect funds.”

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It’s unclear exactly how an expansion would work, or whether the administration will ask lawmakers to approve additional funding. 

When asked to clarify Walker-Griffea’s comments, MI-Leap spokesperson Laura Hall said, “We are exploring opportunities to maximize this federal investment and serve as many students as possible.” 

As it stands, Michiganders age 21 to 24 must apply by Nov. 15 to qualify for the program and enroll no later than the fall 2024 semester. They are then eligible for tuition-free community college for up to four years.

In order to qualify for the program, applicants must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and must earn at least 12 credits in an academic year.  

So far, 5,595 people have earned a degree or certificate using the program since its launch in early 2021, according to state data.

Using federal pandemic funds, the state put aside $70 million for the temporary expansion. But the state had only spent about $3.2 million on the expansion as of February 2024, according to an April 2024 report from the Office of the Auditor General.

That spending has likely increased as more students have taken courses and because the state reimburses community colleges for the costs of educating these students.

Brandy Johnson, president of the Michigan Community College Association, told Bridge Michigan that lawmakers could amend language for the program in a budget bill this fall to continue the expanded eligibility. 

But to permanently change the program, legislators would need to change the law that outlines the program requirements.

“We would love to see the state permanently lower the Michigan Reconnect Age from 25 down to 21,” Johnson said.

Reconnect was created before the state created the Michigan Achievement Scholarship which provides college funds for recent high school graduates to attend community college, private college or university or public university in the state.

This year, lawmakers expanded the Achievement Scholarship to include a tuition-free guarantee for those who live in a local community college district to attend community college.

Johnson said her hope is that as that program grows, fewer people use Reconnect because they are choosing to pursue a college education right after high school.