Higher educational attainment among working-age Michigan adults has been steadily growing over the past decade, but the state is lagging behind the nation and its neighbors in the Great Lake states.

College enrollment by last year’s high school graduates is still well below pre-pandemic levels, as 52.8 percent of the class of 2022 went to college within the six months of graduation, data released Thursday shows.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer urged lawmakers Wednesday to expand the state’s tuition-free community college program known as Michigan Reconnect by lowering its minimum age from 25 years old to 21.

National lawmakers, elected officials, and special interest groups all had a lot to say about Whitmer’s speech.

Big Rapids Virtual School along with nine other schools around Michigan will get an ASPIRE grant of $5,000 each as part of being selected by Michigan College Access Network's High School Innovation Grants program.

Each school will receive a $5,000 ASPIRE grant, the first stage of MCAN’s High School Innovation Grants program.

READ THE ARTICLE

Dansville High School is one of 10 schools in Michigan to receive a $5,000 grant from the Michigan College Access Network.

The Michigan College Access Network recently awarded its Ombudsman Award to four school counselors statewide, including Brandon Wardlow, who is currently a long-term substitute math teacher at Holland Woods Middle School.

The Michigan Equity, Courage, Hope and Opportunity Scholarship – MI ECHO – is designed to serve Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, Temporary Protected Status immigrants, Special Immigrant Juveniles and others.

Alpena school officials last week received kudos from a statewide organization that recognized the district for strong steps in opening the door for students to attend college.