News Articles
News Articles
All Areas of Work
College enrollments stay down in Michigan. Blame paychecks and the pandemic?
January 27, 2023
Bridge Michigan
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.
All Areas of Work
Gretchen Whitmer: Expand Michigan Reconnect program for community college
January 25, 2023
Bridge Michigan
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.
All Areas of Work
Michigan groups, officials, react to State of the State
January 25, 2023
WLNS
National lawmakers, elected officials, and special interest groups all had a lot to say about Whitmer’s speech.
All Areas of Work
Big Rapids Virtual School Selected to Receive Grant
January 20, 2023
The Rewind 99.1
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.
All Areas of Work
Bay City Western one of 10 Michigan high schools receiving $5,000 grants
January 20, 2023
Midland Daily News
Each school will receive a $5,000 ASPIRE grant, the first stage of MCAN’s High School Innovation Grants program. READ THE ARTICLE
All Areas of Work
Dansville High School receives $5,000 grant
January 19, 2023
WLNS
Dansville High School is one of 10 schools in Michigan to receive a $5,000 grant from the Michigan College Access Network.
All Areas of Work
Educator awarded for impact at Port Huron High School
November 22, 2022
The Voice
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.
All Areas of Work
MI ECHO scholarship helps frontline workers not eligible for federal financial aid
November 19, 2022
FOX 17
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.
All Areas of Work
Alpena High School awarded for college readiness, culture shift
November 14, 2022
The Alpena News
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.
All Areas of Work
Michigan Attorney General warns borrowers of student loan forgiveness scammers
October 17, 2022
WKAR
Michigan’s attorney general is warning student borrowers to be cautious of scammers taking advantage of the federal student loan forgiveness program.
All Areas of Work
Micro-grants and life credits: How Michigan is reducing barriers to college
October 12, 2022
Bridge Michigan
Michigan officials and education leaders are also examining other ways to help students finish college and career training after high school. Controlling tuition costs is critical. But there are plenty of other reasons why students fail or drop out.
All Areas of Work
Generation COVID: Record Numbers of Youth Opt Out of College, Work
September 28, 2022
Newsweek
Three years into the pandemic, after two years of isolation, shuttered schools and virtual commencements, high school graduates from the classes of 2020, 2021 and beyond — call them Generation COVID — are shunning college in record numbers.
All Areas of Work
Michigan isn’t taxing forgiven student loans
September 28, 2022
WILX News 10
“The tax is not something you can spread out over 20 or 30 years like you can your loan payments. So this tax would come due this tax year, which would make a high burden for those students,” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, MCAN executive director.
All Areas of Work
NEWS Otsego Career Access Network Brings Retired Educator
September 20, 2022
9 & 10 News
The Otsego Career Access Network wants to connect people with opportunities for an advanced education. And the new coordinator is retired Gaylord Schools superintendent Brian Pearson.
All Areas of Work
Rick Haglund: Student loan forgiveness will aid millions, but college affordability problems remain
September 7, 2022
Michigan Advance
In Michigan, 1.4 million residents will benefit from the loan forgiveness program, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said. But the loan relief plan does little to tackle the complex problem of college affordability.
All Areas of Work
Four-year college degrees in Michigan becoming an exception
August 28, 2022
The Detroit News
For Michigan's incoming class of 2015-16, the overall rate of public college students who earned a degree at four-year institutions four years later was 52.4% compared with 71.2% five years later and 77% six years, according to the latest state data.
All Areas of Work
After student loan relief, here are 4 more ways to cut Michigan college debt
August 26, 2022
Bridge Michigan
In short, the cost of college went up during a time when state scholarships for college went down. The result: students now graduate from Michigan’s colleges and universities with an average debt of $36,000.
All Areas of Work
Executive Director of the Michigan College Access Network talks about student loan debt forgiveness
August 24, 2022
WZZM13
Ryan Fewins-Bliss joins the WZZM news team to discuss President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan.