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Michigan Students Still To Receive Free College Entrance Exam

March 20, 2014

LANSING – All Michigan high school juniors will continue to receive a free college entrance exam when the state transitions to the Smarter Balanced Assessment, State Superintendent Mike Flanagan said today.

“The college entrance exam is a vital component of the Michigan Merit Exam given to Michigan high school students,” Flanagan said. “That will remain when we move over to the Smarter Balanced Assessments beginning next year.”

Flanagan met with a group of school counselors this week during the Michigan School Counselors Association’s Lobby Day in the state capital. The counselors told Flanagan they’ve been informed that the ACT college entrance exam will be eliminated.

“You’ve been badly misinformed,” Flanagan told the school counselors. “State law requires that students be given a college entrance exam.

“Michigan high school students will continue to receive a free college entrance exam as long as the legislature continues to fund it,” he said. “Principals, guidance counselors, parents, and students can be assured of that.” 

ACT won the competitive bid to supply the college entrance exam in 2006 as part of the Michigan Merit Exam. That contract has expired and the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget and Michigan Department of Education are competitively bidding the contract again and likely will be awarding the new contract in May.

“This will be one of the traditional college entrance exams,” Flanagan said. “Smarter Balanced doesn’t have a college entrance exam.”