High School Innovation
Our K-12 work is designed to strengthen the college-going culture at Michigan schools and reduce barriers to postsecondary education.
Initiatives
Your Future Matters: College and Career Planning Course
With the help of internal and external certified educators and support from the Michigan State University College of Education, MCAN has developed a College Planning Course for students.
School Counselor Fellows Program
This program is an advanced school counselor leadership, peer consultation, and professional development training designed to provide a cohort of experienced school counselors an opportunity to strengthen school counselor leadership practices.
Collaborative Counseling: Next-Gen School Counselor Coaching and Mentorship
Designed by experienced school counselors, Collaborative Counseling is Michigan’s first statewide mentoring and coaching program for school counselors in their first three years.
Michigan Leadership Fellows
Michigan Leadership Fellows is designed to create a pipeline of future principals who are equity-minded, transformative leaders who will advance postsecondary educational access and success.
College Bound Michigan
Focused on increasing college readiness in high schools, CBMI is a suite of three initiatives that engages students throughout the school year with timely college-going activities. Participating schools have access to exclusive resources, grant opportunities, and technical assistance from MCAN to support the work in their buildings.
AdviseMI
MCAN’s AdviseMI program places AmeriCorps members in select high schools across Michigan, particularly high schools that are located in communities with low college-going rates, to serve as college advisers alongside existing school counseling and support staff.
Roadmap to Opportunity
Roadmap to Opportunity highlights in-demand, high-wage careers in Michigan through videos, printed collateral, and professional development for school counselors, college advisers, and other practitioners working directly with students.
Local College Access Networks
LCANs are community-based college access alliances supported by a team of community and education leaders representing K-12, higher education, the nonprofit sector, government, business, and philanthropy.
Advocacy and Alignment
Educated Workforce Advisory Board
The Educated Workforce Advisory Board is a new coalition with the ultimate purpose of elevating existing collaborations and building systemic connections among K-12, higher education, and the workforce system in support of Michigan’s Sixty by 30 goal.
Michigan Consortium for Higher Education in Prison
The Michigan Consortium for Higher Education in Prison (MiCHEP) was established to improve the lives of incarcerated people by preparing them to successfully reenter society through opportunities to earn college degrees and certificates.
Michigan Higher Education Attainment Roundtable
Michigan Higher Education Attainment Roundtable (MIHEART) is an ongoing, cross-sector collaborative that seeks to promote, advocate for, and guide policy changes that will raise postsecondary attainment levels and improve Michigan’s talent pipeline.
Michigan Promise Zones Association
MCAN works closely with the Michigan Promise Zones Association by providing technical assistance and support to ensure that these "placed-based" scholarships are helping students pursue a postsecondary education.
Grants
Innovative Program Grants
Innovative Program Grants are designed to support innovative, data-informed programs and projects that increase college readiness, enrollment, and completion in communities across the state.
Resources
CBMI Resource Hub
A resource hub is designed to support work with College Bound Michigan (CBMI) and to provide college-access content for students, counselors, administrators, and other college access professionals.
College Bound MI Implementation Guide
A guide for high schools participating in College Bound Michigan.
Free Tuition Programs for Low-Income Students
A list of free tuition programs for low-income students at 4-year colleges and universities in Michigan, including brief descriptions and links.
MI School Data
State of Michigan's official public portal for education data to help citizens, educators and policymakers make informed decisions that can lead to improved success for our students.
Michigan Achievement Scholarship
The Michigan Achievement Scholarship provides up to $4000 per year to qualifying Michigan students in the class of 2023 and beyond who attend an in-state college or university.
Michigan Institution Updates
This site features a list of all 84 public and private, 2-year and 4-year colleges in Michigan. You can find institution-specific information such as admissions and financial aid by navigating through the tabs at the top of the page.
Michigan Student Aid
Information on Michigan's financial aid offerings, including the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, Community College Guarantee, and Michigan Reconnect.
Providing Opportunities for the Education of Students Experiencing Homelessness
A collection of organizations, services, and resources designed to assist students experiencing homelessness.
ALICE Report from the United Way
Standing for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed - ALICE represents those in our communities who are working yet still struggling to make ends meet. The ALICE Report is the most comprehensive depiction of need in Michigan to date.
Aspire Higher: An Undocumented Student's Guide to College in Michigan
This guide is designed to help students and their families by providing resources available for undocumented students interested in pursuing education after high school, regardless of citizenship status.
College Affordability in Michigan (NCAN Snapshot)
This is a state of Michigan profile outlining key college affordability measures in Michigan. It incorporate state-specific data on the Pell Grant, FAFSA completion, college enrollment, and degree attainment.
Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW)
Reports and data developed by Georgetown University Center, focusing on education and the workforce.
Stronger Nation: A Lumina Foundation Reporting Tool
Lumina Foundation tracks the post-high school educational attainment of Americans ages 25-64. Since 2008, that figure has increased by 10 percentage points in Michigan.
The Journal of College Access
A peer-reviewed, academic, open access, online journal with a focus on how students aspire to, gain access to, enroll in and persist in higher education institutions. The Journal is published periodically.
Press Releases
MCAN presents Pathway Awards to Career and Technical Education Leaders
Earlier this week, Michigan College Access Network presented individual Pathway Awards to Michigan’s Career Education Planning Districts, honoring regional leaders and education providers who are working to ensure students across Michigan have access to high-quality, career-aligned Career and Technical Education programs.
Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals, Michigan College Access Network collaborate to cultivate transformative leaders
The Michigan Leadership Fellows program, a groundbreaking collaboration between Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals and Michigan College Access Network, is set to empower its third diverse, state-wide cohort of rising educational leaders.
MCAN celebrates budget wins, evaluates tough cuts
Education priorities mostly survive tough, drawn-out negotiations over fiscal year 2026 budget
Blogs
College is (Still) for Everyone
College remains a powerful tool in unlocking opportunities for personal and professional growth, career advancement, and financial stability. By helping students explore their options, we can help them make an informed decision about the education and skills needed to help them achieve their career goals in this ever-changing job market and economy.
Ensuring No Senior is Left Behind: Get your FAFSA Data Ducks in a Row!
Ahead of the upcoming FAFSA cycle, the National College Attainment Network poses several strategies to streamline the flow of FAFSA completion data so advisers and counselors are equipped to help and manage their students' progress toward their post-secondary goals.