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Financial Support

Financial Support

Financial Help for Your Future

Financial support options are available for completing preparation either as a first-time teacher or a certified teacher seeking to expand the content areas in which you can teach. 

Many of these programs are not operated by the Michigan Department of Education. For questions, please contact the organizations within the links.

Support Options

Abstract blue graduates dance by a green star over the words Future Proud Michigan Educator

State School Aid Budget

The governor and the legislature worked together on a budget that supports the state's Top 10 Strategic Education Plan goals, specifically, an unprecedented $555 million to support Future Proud Michigan Educator (Future PME) programs in fiscal year 2023.
Learn more about scholarships and grants
Abstract green graduation cap sits atop the words Michigan Reconnect

Michigan Reconnect

Free tuition at your in-district community college to earn an associate degree or Pell-eligible skill certificate if you're at least 25 years of age, have lived in Michigan for a year or more, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and have not yet completed a college degree.

If you do not have a high school diploma or equivalent, visit Michigan.gov/Reconnect to get started. 
Michigan Reconnect

Michigan Achievement Scholarship

Students who graduate from high school in Michigan with a diploma or certificate of completion or achieved a high school equivalency certificate in 2023 or after will be eligible for more financial aid from the State of Michigan:

  • Up to $2,000 if they attend an eligible training provider in Michigan, per year, up to two years
  • Up to $2,750 if they attend a Michigan community college, per year, up to three years
  • Up to $4,000 if they attend a Michigan private college or university, per year, up to five years
  • Up to $5,500 if they attend a Michigan public university, per year, up to five years
More about the Michigan Achievement Scholarship
Green icon representing the College-Level Examination Program or CLEP

Free CLEP Tests and Courses

As citizens of Michigan are looking to further their education and potentially earn additional college credits, the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) has entered into a partnership with Modern States, which will offer 10,000 free College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests for Michigan adult learners through December 2021. Successful passage of a CLEP exam will allow learners to test out of core college courses and save tuition dollars. The partnership will also provide test preparation courses for eligible adult learners.
More about Free CLEP Tests and Courses
Grey text reads Federal Student Aid, an office of the Department of Education

TEACH Grant

A TEACH Grant can help you pay for college if you plan to become a teacher in a high-need field in a low-income area. A Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant is different from other federal student grants because it requires you to agree to complete four years of qualifying teaching as a condition for getting the grant; and if you don't complete your teaching service obligation, the grant will turn into a loan that you must repay in full, with interest.
More about the Teach Grant
Blue logo featuring an abstract sun over the words TEACH Early Childhood Michigan, a program of Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood 

T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® MICHIGAN is a statewide scholarship program designed to help child care center teaching staff, preschool teachers, family child care providers, group home owners, center directors, early childhood professionals and administrators meet their professional development goals, while continuing their current employment in regulated early childhood and school age care settings.
More about T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood
Green icon representing loan forgiveness shows an abstract hand using an automated teller machine.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

If you are employed by a U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government or not-for-profit organization, you might be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. This includes public schools, public colleges and universities, and public child and family service agencies.
More about Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Circular red, white and blue logo for the Michigan National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program

Michigan National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program (MINGSTAP)

This program provides tuition assistance to members of the Michigan National Guard who are attending any public or private college, university, vocational school, technical school, or trade school located in Michigan.

MINGSTAP is available to members of the Michigan National Guard who (1) are active in the National Guard (including the traditional service of one weekend/month and two weeks/year; (2) are not absent without leave or under UCMJ charges; and (3) meet the additional criteria established by the TAG consistent with the guard’s recruiting and retention requirements.

More about MINGSTAP
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Paying for College in Michigan

Paying for education after High School is a lifelong investment in achieving life's goals. Getting there may require the assistance of resources including the Federal and State Governments, private financial institutions, family contributions and individual savings.
More about paying for college in Michigan