News Articles
News Articles
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Push to take SAT scores off Michigan students’ transcripts, abolish essay
September 17, 2025
Bridge Michigan
A renewed push is underway to stop requiring that scores from the state-administered SAT test appear on Michigan students’ high school transcripts.
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Two EUP school counselors receive awards, funding for student programs
September 16, 2025
The Sault News
Jessica Tibbitts, counselor for Pickford Public Schools, and Susy Talentino, counselor for Sault’s Malcolm High School, were both recognized by the Michigan School Counselor Fellows Program for their efforts to help kids with the issues they face the most.
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Life after high school? 6 things for Michigan parents to check off, make sure their senior succeeds
September 16, 2025
MLive
A student’s senior year of high school is sometimes their busiest. And part of that may have to do with getting ready for what comes next, whether they’re college-bound or readying to take direct career steps straight away.
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Nearly 70% of Benzie County high school seniors file FAFSA
September 14, 2025
Manistee News Advocate
“Benzie County students were riding this wave along with the rest of Michigan,” the release said. “According to the Michigan FAFSA tracker, 69.79% of Benzie High School seniors completed the FAFSA as of Sept. 8, 2025. That figure is well above the state average and an overall 30% increase over last year.”
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Michigan students return to college campuses amid threats to higher education nationwide
August 25, 2025
The Detroit News
"University presidents are paralyzed," Michigan College Access Network Executive Director Ryan Fewins-Bliss said. "They are now under attack at the federal and state level. ... Federally, things are shifting every day. They're exasperated."
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An Opportunity for Every Student
August 22, 2025
MI SoundBoard Podcast
The Michigan College Access Network joins the podcast with its Executive Director, Ryan Fewins-Bliss, to discuss how the organization works to ensure all Michigan students understand the opportunities available to them for education beyond high school, as well as the current state of college graduates in the state.
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Some Teachers Could Lose Out on Loan Forgiveness Under Trump Admin. Proposal
August 21, 2025
Education Week
Teachers and other school staff could lose out on thousands of dollars in student loan forgiveness if their districts engage in activities the Trump administration now considers illegal—including, potentially, certain supports for immigrants or transgender students in schools.
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Trump administration's latest anti-DEI initiative has college access advocates worried
August 17, 2025
The Detroit News
Ryan Fewins-Bliss, executive director of Michigan College Access Network, said he worries that institutions "overcorrecting" and rolling back programs meant to serve specific groups of students will result in fewer students, especially students of color, attending college.
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Michigan education leaders push for college access amid doubts from students
August 12, 2025
WCMU
At a recent media roundtable hosted by the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN), panelists said concerns about affordability, limited awareness of financial aid and unmet basic needs continue to block access to higher education, particularly for Black and Brown students, Indigenous students, immigrants and students with disabilities.
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BEST Benzie uses grant to reduce 'summer melt'
August 4, 2025
The Benzie County Record Patriot
This year, thanks to a grant from the Michigan College Access Network, the Benzie County college-bound class of 2025 graduates have two college coaches available to help reduce summer melt.
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Michigan Awards Nearly $1M to Students Through FAFSA Completion Initiative
July 29, 2025
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II joined state education leaders at Wayne State University to announce the winners, who received either $10,000 or $50,000 awards deposited into Michigan Education Savings Program accounts. The initiative, launched by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's administration in partnership with the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN), drew more than 21,000 entries from students who completed their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the first time.
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A Michigan private college is closing. Why experts say others may not be far behind.
July 13, 2025
MLive
“What I’ve found when I’ve spoken to the presidents of those institutions (that have closed) and some of their trustees is that they have been privately struggling with this for years, have been doing everything they can to fight against it and had to finally give up the goat and say, ‘It’s time to close, we’re out of options,’” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, executive director of Michigan College Access Network.
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‘It’s very confusing:’ Return of AmeriCorps grants doesn’t mean end to uncertainty
July 3, 2025
MLive
While some states found only a portion of their portfolios terminated, Michigan was one of 14 states that had its entire AmeriCorps portfolio eliminated. That includes $2.1 million to MCAN, which resulted in the termination of 60 AmeriCorps workers across four programs, many of whom were embedded in high schools and two-year colleges.
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Federal AmeriCorps cuts strain college access for local students
June 26, 2025
The Port Huron Times Herald
When Maya Savedra started as a college advisor at Port Huron Northern High School two years ago, she thought it would be a short-term role. With a degree in broadcasting and cinematic arts, the AmeriCorps position felt like a practical next step, not a calling.
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Advocates for Benzie County receives Rotary Charities grant
June 11, 2025
The Benzie County Record Patriot
The Advocates for Benzie County has been awarded a $10,000 seed grant from Rotary Charities for a project focusing on adult learners in Benzie County. In cooperation with BEST Benzie and the Michigan College Access Network, the grant will fund a survey and study of the needs and challenges for adult learners between the ages of 25-55 who have no education beyond high school.
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Americorps cuts impact non-profits working at schools in Southwest Michigan
June 10, 2025
WMUK
Federal funding cuts at Americorps could affect the number of Americorps members serving in schools and colleges in Southwest Michigan, as well as recent graduates who hoped to join the program. In April, the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, cut 400 million dollars from Americorps.
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Kalamazoo learns even free tuition isn’t enough to get kids into college
June 4, 2025
Bridge Michigan
The Kalamazoo Promise and similar scholarship programs have taught leaders that “the barrier we thought was the major barrier — and that is money — is just one barrier,” Fewins-Bliss said. Other barriers include transportation, food insecurity and more and schools have to provide wraparound services to help students get to college and stay in college.
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Ticket to Tuition Helping Students Get Ready for College
May 7, 2025
Civic Center TV
Executive Director of the Michigan College Access Network Ryan Fewins-Bliss talks with Jake Schaf about their Ticket to Tuition sweepstakes.