Nearly $1.8 Million Awarded to Six Michigan Colleges to Increase Adult Enrollment

Funding supports strategies to remove barriers to college enrollment for Michigan adults 

LANSING, Mich. – Nearly $1.8 million has been awarded to six Michigan colleges through the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential’s (MiLEAP) Reconnect Enroll with Momentum Grants to increase college enrollment among current and potential Michigan Reconnect applicants. The grants support strategies that address barriers preventing adults from starting, renewing or persisting in their postsecondary education. 

“For many Michigan adults, the path to college is not always clear or easy to navigate,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, executive director of MiLEAP. “These grants give colleges the opportunity to identify and remove barriers that can keep adults from taking that next step, while creating stronger connections between education, careers and the needs of Michigan communities.” 

Each college will receive up to $300,000 over the two-year grant period, from August 2026 through July 2028, to implement strategies tailored to the needs of adult learners in their communities. Projects focus on making enrollment easier to navigate, expanding flexible options, improving Credit for Prior Learning, increasing access to childcare and connecting education to high-demand careers. Together, the projects are designed to help more adults enroll, stay on track and earn postsecondary credentials. 

The investment builds on MiLEAP’s Reconnect Community Action Grants, which support efforts to build and strengthen community partnerships that expand access to postsecondary learning pathways. The grants emphasize partnerships among colleges, county governments and other community-based partners to increase college enrollment, reduce barriers to college enrollment and persistence, and strengthen support for adult learners. 

“Michigan’s colleges understand the unique barriers facing adult learners in their communities,” said Sarah Szurpicki, deputy director of the MiLEAP Office of Higher Education. “These grants give institutions the flexibility to develop practical solutions that meet adults where they are and help them take the next step toward a credential and a career.” 

The six colleges are using their grants to address different barriers facing adult learners: 

• Jackson College ($297,315) will strengthen outreach and communication with adults interested in enrolling, using enrollment data to better connect prospective students with information and support throughout the enrollment process. 

• Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College ($300,000) will expand evening hours for its Ojibwa Early Childhood Learning Center, giving parents who are balancing work, school and family responsibilities greater access to childcare while pursuing higher education. 

• Monroe Community College ($299,989) will strengthen partnerships with local jails, shelters and community organizations while providing adults from historically underserved populations with an advocate and access coach to help address barriers and navigate the enrollment process. 

• Montcalm Community College ($300,000) will establish a Reconnect Navigator model to provide hands-on enrollment support for adults while helping the college identify and address recurring barriers in its enrollment process. 

• Muskegon Community College ($300,000) will expand its partnership with Greater Muskegon Economic Development to increase outreach, provide on-site Credit for Prior Learning support and develop clearer pathways for translating industry credentials into academic credit, making it easier for adults to receive college credit for knowledge and skills gained through work and industry credentials.  

• Oakland Community College ($264,384.50) will connect adult learners to career pathways earlier in the enrollment process through a new Health Sciences Career Connectedness Coordinator. The project will strengthen career advising, employer connections, clinical placements and other work-based learning opportunities. 

Together, the six projects will help colleges address barriers to enrollment and create stronger pathways for adults to begin or return to postsecondary education. The strategies reflect the different needs of adult learners and communities across Michigan while supporting the goal of increasing enrollment among current and potential Reconnect applicants. 

For more information about MiLEAP’s Reconnect Enroll with Momentum Grants, visit the MiLEAP website.  

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About MiLEAP: 

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.