September 11, 2026
The Michigan Reconnect scholarship program provides free or reduced community college tuition for eligible adults without a college degree. In June 2026, Michigan Center for Data and Analytics began to study outcomes for Reconnect scholarship recipients (Reconnectors) after they graduated. As Reconnect is a relatively new program, and credentials take time to earn, this is the first time wage data has been joined with graduate information.
The study looked at how a graduate’s credential changed their employment and wage outcomes in several ways. The study compared how much Reconnectors earn one and two years after graduation compared to their wages before Reconnect. It also compared this group’s earnings to Michiganders of a similar age and gender with a high school diploma as their highest level of education, representing how much these graduates might have earned without the Reconnect scholarship opportunity. Finally, the study looked at which industries that graduates worked in prior to starting Reconnect and which industries they worked in after graduation.
In total, 16,818 Reconnector graduate records were analyzed. Sufficient time from graduation has passed to analyze one-year wage outcomes of 9,357 Reconnectors and two-year outcomes of 4,778. The study population was 71 percent female and 29 percent male. It was a relatively young group, with more than 60 percent under the age of 35. Most participants earned associate degrees, representing 79 percent of the population, while the remaining 21 percent earned certificates.
1. One year after graduation, the median wage among Reconnectors increased $13,400 compared to pre-Reconnect wages. By year two, the group’s median wage was $16,300 higher, representing an overall increase of 48 percent. Associate degree graduates experienced higher wage growth, with a 51 percent increase in their median wages by two years after graduation, while certificate graduates’ wages rose 37 percent over the same period. Reconnectors’ wages are in line with data published by CEPI on earnings one year after graduation for Michiganders statewide.
Median Annualized Wages of Employed Reconnect Scholarship Recipients
Source: Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential; Michigan Center for Educational Performance and Information; Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency; and Michigan Center for Data and Analytics
2. Reconnect graduates earned a median of $16,500 more one year after graduation than similar workers with a high school diploma. Women graduates under 45 saw even greater relative gains, with a median increase of $18,800 in earnings over peers with a high school diploma. In fact, graduates across all gender and age groups earned more on average compared to similar workers with a high school diploma.
3. After graduation, the health care and education industries saw the biggest increases in Reconnector employment compared to their participation in these industries before starting Reconnect. The health care industry accounted for the most Reconnect graduate employment, with about 38 percent of graduates working in health care one year after graduation. The food service and retail trade industries, in which many Reconnectors worked before receiving the scholarship, saw large drops in Reconnector employment as this group shifted out of those jobs after graduation.
4. The State of Michigan is estimated to recover its typical investment in a Reconnector seven years after their graduation through state income taxes on increased wages. This estimate is based on the first two years of state income taxes on wages above prior earnings for Reconnect graduates.
Reconnect graduates reflect the concept “learn more, earn more.” This study found that graduates are both earning more compared to their wages before receiving the Reconnect scholarship, and that they are earning more compared to similar workers with a high school diploma. These increased earnings will compound over a lifetime as they progress in careers that the Reconnect scholarship helped make possible. In addition, many graduates are finding work in high-demand industries in Michigan, such as health care.
From the state’s perspective, the cost associated with the typical Reconnect graduate, including their scholarship and share of program overhead cost, is covered within seven years by increased income taxes collected from the graduate’s additional earnings. In addition to the direct fiscal return from increased tax revenue, the state is likely to experience broader benefits beyond the scope of this study with a more educated workforce, such as a reduction in unemployment and public assistance costs.
This study examines outcomes associated with Reconnect graduates. Since 2021, over 80,000 individuals have enrolled in the Reconnect program, and many are still working towards their award1. Future analyses, given a longer time outlook, could provide more information on these wage gains, as well as explore outcomes for those enrollees that have taken longer to earn their certificate or degree.
1Individuals are eligible for the Reconnect scholarship for four years after their first semester as a Reconnect participant, provided they still meet all the criteria to qualify.
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