New $750,000 Grants Awarded to Promote the Value of Education Beyond High School

Three organizations selected to build on MiLEAP’s ongoing efforts to increase awareness of postsecondary education opportunities

LANSING, Mich. – Three Michigan organizations have been selected to receive a combined $750,000 in grant funding to expand statewide outreach on higher education opportunities.

Launched by the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP), the Advance Michigan: Reframing the Value of Higher Education Grant initiative supports nonprofit organizations in developing innovative, research-driven communications and outreach strategies that complement the state’s existing efforts, address misconceptions about college affordability and value, and help more Michiganders make informed decisions about their futures.

“Michigan has made tremendous progress in expanding access to affordable higher education and helping more learners understand the opportunities available to them,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, MiLEAP executive director. “As more scholarships, tuition-free pathways and workforce training opportunities become available, it’s critical that every Michigander has the information they need to take advantage of them. These partnerships will help more learners pursue their goals, strengthen families and build the skilled workforce Michigan needs to thrive.”

Advance Michigan builds on MiLEAP’s statewide communications strategy, which has already connected millions of Michiganders with information about college affordability, financial aid and career pathways through statewide marketing campaigns, one-on-one support, digital resources and community partnerships. 

Since its launch, the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and Community College Guarantee campaigns have reached more than 2.8 million Michiganders, and more than 110,400 students representing every Michigan county have received support through the scholarships. Additionally, the Michigan Reconnect campaign has reached more than 1.6 million Michiganders, with nearly 250,000 eligible adults having taken the first step by submitting an application, and more than 94,000 Michiganders enrolled.

The grants will expand that work by supporting trusted organizations that can test new approaches, strengthen local partnerships and reach more learners and families in meaningful ways.              

“We’ve seen firsthand how thoughtful communications and outreach can help people recognize the opportunities higher education creates not only for themselves, but for their families and future generations,” said Sarah Szurpicki, deputy director at MiLEAP overseeing the Office Higher Education. “The Advance Michigan grants are designed to complement – not duplicate – the strong statewide outreach already underway by leveraging partnerships with organizations that bring unique expertise, trusted relationships and innovative ideas. Together, we’ll build on that momentum and help even more Michiganders see what’s possible through postsecondary education and training.”

Each organization has been awarded $250,000 to implement projects focused on shifting narratives around the value of postsecondary education, increasing understanding of the career and earnings outcomes associated with degrees and credentials, or improving awareness of college affordability, financial aid and other resources that help learners navigate the path to higher education.

Awarded organizations include:

• Michigan College Access Network (MCAN): MCAN’s project aims to support innovative communication strategies, research-driven campaigns, and community outreach initiatives to elevate public understanding of how higher education contributes to individual, family, and community success. To address rising skepticism about the return on investment on postsecondary education, the grant will support projects that communicate the benefits of higher education and test new approaches to reaching prospective students and their families.

• Diploma Equity Project: The Diploma Equity Project’s college awareness campaign will target all Michiganders with messaging that reframes the narrative about college affordability and the value of postsecondary education. The campaign also aims to increase awareness of college access opportunities by prioritizing communications to lower-income and lower-education Michiganders, whose awareness of tuition options is lowest.

• Michigan Adult, Community and Alternative Education Association (MACAE): This project is a highly targeted, data-driven statewide digital marketing campaign and capacity-building initiative to create a coordinated recruitment ecosystem designed to reframe the value of higher education for Michigan’s current and prospective adult education participants (ages 18+). In direct support of the state’s Sixty by 30 goal, this project departs from traditional "college prep" outreach and directly addresses the emotional, work, and financial barriers of working adults.

Projects will begin this summer and are expected to be completed within 18 months. Grantees will work alongside MiLEAP’s Office of Higher Education to ensure their efforts align with statewide outreach while bringing new ideas and perspectives to communities across Michigan.

The awards come at a pivotal time as Michigan continues expanding access to affordable postsecondary education through the recently passed FY27 budget. The budget includes $532 million for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, bringing the state’s total investment to more than $1.7 billion since the program launched, while continuing support for the Community College Guarantee and investing $25 million in Michigan Reconnect, restoring eligibility to adults ages 21 and older.

As more Michiganders become eligible for these life-changing opportunities, Advance Michigan will help ensure learners and families have the information they need to take advantage of them.

Together, these efforts will help more Michiganders make informed decisions about postsecondary pathways while advancing Michigan’s Sixty by 30 goal of increasing the percentage of working-age adults with a postsecondary credential to 60% by 2030.

To learn more about postsecondary opportunities and resources available, including the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, Community College Guarantee and Michigan Reconnect, visit the MiLEAP Office of Higher Education webpage.

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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.