14 March 2011
Lansing, MI – The Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) announces seven communities will collectively receive $98,000 to support college access and success initiatives. The planning and startup grants are designed to help Michigan communities establish and strengthen local college access networks. Currently, MCAN supports 32 local networks across the state.
These local college access networks will coordinate programs, services and resources that lower the barriers preventing students, particularly low-income and/or first-generation, from pursuing postsecondary educational opportunities. In each community, leaders in education, the nonprofit sector, business, government and philanthropy will work together to design a local strategy to foster a college-going culture and dramatically increase the college participation and completion rates.
Six communities were awarded $8,000 planning grants to convene a leadership team to explore the community's current college access needs. They will then design a plan to build a college-going culture and deliver a comprehensive set of college access services. One grant recipient, the Battle Creek College Access Network, was awarded a $50,000 startup grant to begin implementation of its college access strategy.
Planning grant recipients and the communities they serve:
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Alpena College Access Network - Alpena, Montmorency and Alcona Counties
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Athens/Tekonsha/Union City College Access Network
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Gratiot CAN! - Gratiot County
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Char-Em College Access Alliance - Charlevoix and Emmet
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Osborn College Access Network - Detroit's Osborn neighborhood
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Springwells Village College Access Network - Detroit's Springwells Village neighborhood
Startup grant recipient:
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Battle Creek College Access Network
"These local college access networks play a critical role in helping build and sustain a vibrant economy in Michigan," said Brandy Johnson, director of the Michigan College Access Network. "By developing a local network, the community works together in identifying current assets and gaps to ensure they are building a strong and highly successful college access strategy."
Currently, 35.6 percent of Michigan's 25 to 64 year olds possess at least an associate's degree, ranking Michigan 33rd among all states. Michigan's rate lags behind the national average of 37.9 percent. It is MCAN's goal to increase Michigan's postsecondary educational attainment rate to 60 percent by the year 2025.
Funding from The Kresge Foundation and the federal College Access Challenge grant from the U.S. Department of Education made this round of MCAN grants possible. The next round of grants will be awarded in September 2011.
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About Michigan College Access Network
As the leader in the state's college access movement, MCAN's mission is to dramatically increase Michigan's college participation and completion rates, particularly among low-income and first-generation college students of all ages. MCAN also supports two statewide college access initiatives: MichiganCAP, a one-stop-shop for students to plan, apply and pay for college at www.michigancap.org, and KnowHow2GOMichigan, a public awareness campaign designed to encourage and prepare low-income students and their families to take the necessary steps toward college (www.knowhow2gomichigan.org).
For more information, visit www.micollegeaccess.org. You can also find MCAN on Facebook at www.facebook.com/micollegeaccess.
 Press Release - Grant Recipients - Round 3 | [ ] |