The Michigan Reconnect program is intended to assist adults who want to attend community college but can't afford the tuition. | Adobe Stock
The Michigan Reconnect program is intended to assist adults who want to attend community college but can't afford the tuition. | Adobe Stock
A new program promised by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has some Michiganders believing that the state will cover their tuition to attend any community college in the state, but the fine print has some potential students reconsidering their college plans.
To be eligible for the Michigan Reconnect program, applicants must be 25 or older, have lived in the state for at least a year, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and not have completed any previous associate’s or bachelor’s degrees, according to Michigan.gov.
For those who meet the requirements, the program will cover in-district tuition, mandatory fees and contact hours, according to the program's website.
But the “in-district” caveat means that students will have to be living in the community college district where they are going to school if they want to have all of their tuition covered, according to Bridge Michigan.
In Michigan, community colleges are supported through community college districts, which levy property taxes on residents within that district in order to fund some of the costs of operating the colleges. Students who live within one of the districts pay an in-district rate, but if they want to go to a different community college or live outside the district in a neighboring community, they have to pay a higher, out-of-district rate, which may work out to twice as much tuition.
Most of Michigan’s counties -- 50 of 83 -- have no community college district, according to Bridge. And those areas are also home to populations that are more likely to live in poverty and have lower levels of academic attainment.
In total, about 20% of the state’s population would have to pay the out-of-district rate to attend a community college, without even considering student choice for those who live in a district but would prefer to attend a community college in a different district, perhaps for varied program offerings.
Alyssa Merton, a coordinator of the Local College Access Network in Oceana County, said the situation is frustrating for people living in an area that has no community college district. Merton told Bridge Michigan she has already had difficult conversations with potential students who had only heard that the state would now cover tuition, without being aware of the fine print.
Alerts Sign-up