“What I’ve found when I’ve spoken to the presidents of those institutions (that have closed) and some of their trustees is that they have been privately struggling with this for years, have been doing everything they can to fight against it and had to finally give up the goat and say, ‘It’s time to close, we’re out of options,’” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, executive director of Michigan College Access Network.

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.

When Maya Savedra started as a college advisor at Port Huron Northern High School two years ago, she thought it would be a short-term role. With a degree in broadcasting and cinematic arts, the AmeriCorps position felt like a practical next step, not a calling.

The Advocates for Benzie County has been awarded a $10,000 seed grant from Rotary Charities for a project focusing on adult learners in Benzie County. In cooperation with BEST Benzie and the Michigan College Access Network, the grant will fund a survey and study of the needs and challenges for adult learners between the ages of 25-55 who have no education beyond high school.

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.

The Kalamazoo Promise and similar scholarship programs have taught leaders that “the barrier we thought was the major barrier — and that is money — is just one barrier,” Fewins-Bliss said. Other barriers include transportation, food insecurity and more and schools have to provide wraparound services to help students get to college and stay in college.

Executive Director of the Michigan College Access Network Ryan Fewins-Bliss talks with Jake Schaf about their Ticket to Tuition sweepstakes.

The Celebrating and Accelerating Attainment: 2025 & Beyond convened nearly 500 institutional leaders, researchers, funders, and student success practitioners in Washington, D.C. on April 2 and 3, 2025. The discussions highlighted field-driven progress in accelerating postsecondary degree and credential attainment and set bold intentions for helping even more individuals earn credentials of value.

Federal student loan debt is a critical challenge, according to the Department of Education. So much so, the department is reminding higher education institutions of their legal responsibility to support borrowers in debt.

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.