March 20, 2026
LANSING, MICH. – Governor Gretchen Whitmer today announced that more than 153,000 Michigan students received over $558.9 million in state financial aid during the 2024-2025 academic year, as detailed in the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential’s (MiLEAP) annual State Scholarships and Grants Report. The milestone reflects a 30.4% increase in students served and an additional $183.5 million in aid awarded compared to the 2023-2024 academic year.
MiLEAP has also announced a newly upgraded MiSSG Student Portal to modernize the financial aid experience and improve transparency for students and families.
“Every Michigander deserves a fair shot at success, and that starts with making higher education more affordable,” said Governor Whitmer. “Thanks to record investments in expanding access to college and career training, Michigan has surpassed $558.9 million in state financial aid reaching more than 153,000 students. This builds on our commitment to lowering costs and ensuring more Michiganders can get the skills they need to support their families through good-paying jobs. Let’s keep working together to help more families ‘make it’ in Michigan.”
“Postsecondary education is essential to Michigan’s future, for our students, our families, and our communities,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of MiLEAP. “At MiLEAP, our mission is to make sure every Michigan has a real pathway to a postsecondary credential, and these numbers show that mission is working. By expanding access to state scholarships and grants, we are unlocking potential for tens of thousands of students, supporting their dreams and advancing Michigan toward its Sixty by 30 goal.”
Programs such as Michigan Reconnect provide tuition-free opportunities for eligible adults at community colleges, while the Michigan Achievement Scholarship significantly lowers costs for recent high school graduates pursuing a range of postsecondary education opportunities, including career training, an associate degree through the Community College Guarantee, or a bachelor’s degree at one of Michigan’s public or private universities. The MI Future Educator Fellowship and Stipend further reduce the financial burden for students preparing to become teachers in Michigan while addressing critical shortages in the teacher educator pipeline.
Together, these programs help more Michigan students enroll, complete their credentials, and gain the skills needed for good-paying, in-demand careers, ensuring that access to education keeps pace with the state’s workforce and economic needs.
As a result of these investments, state financial aid is reaching students across various institution types and programs.
According to the report, during academic year 2024-2025:
In total, more than 180,000 awards were issued across Michigan’s public universities, community colleges, private institutions and approved training providers.
“Expanding state financial aid is one of the most important ways we can ensure that opportunity reaches every community in Michigan,” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, executive director of Michigan College Access Network (MCAN). “For students from low-income families, first-generation college students, adult learners, and students of color, the cost of college has too often been the barrier that stands between talent and opportunity. The growth in state scholarships and grants means more of these priority populations can see a real, affordable pathway to a certificate or degree. That progress is essential if Michigan is going to meet its Sixty by 30 goal and ensure our state’s prosperity is shared by all.”
To build on this progress and support more Michiganders in accessing financial aid, the upgraded MISSG Student Portal is designed to streamline how students, families, high school counselors, and college administrators access and manage these resources. The system includes a new, user-friendly dashboard that allows individuals to quickly view the status of their state scholarships and grants, complete applications for select programs, update their college on file and track the status of payments.
These improvements make it easier for students to understand the aid available to them, reduce barriers in the application process and help more Michiganders stay on track to earn a credential.
“State financial aid can be the difference between a student enrolling in college or putting their education on hold,” said Sarah Szurpicki, deputy director for the Office of Higher Education at MiLEAP. “These scholarships and grants help students see that college is within reach. By making financial aid easier to navigate, we are helping more Michiganders take the next step toward earning a credential and building their future here in Michigan.”
As Michigan’s economy and workforce continue to evolve, these efforts reflect the state’s greater commitment to helping more Michiganders pursue postsecondary education, earn credentials and access good-paying, in-demand careers – continuing momentum toward the state’s Sixty by 30 goal.
Students interested in learning more about financial aid programs and eligibility can visit Michigan.gov/MiStudentAid.
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Established by Governor Whitmer in 2023, MiLEAP’s mission is to improve outcomes from birth to postsecondary so anyone can ‘make it in Michigan’ with a solid education and a path to a good-paying job. To learn more about MiLEAP, go to Michigan.gov/MiLEAP.
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