MCAN celebrates wins for students in legislative budget bills

As Michigan lawmakers unveil competing state budget bills, early plans signal meaningful investments in students and families, while also raising important questions about long-term funding stability for higher education and college access.

Over the past week, the Michigan Senate and House of Representatives began releasing their budget bills, setting the stage for negotiating the final budget through a conference committee featuring members of the two chambers and the governor’s office. While there are many areas where the three parties need to hash out their differences, looking at their proposed budgets can give a sense of where the final figures will land.

With that in mind, MCAN is excited to see wins for students and families in the college access and success space. All three proposed budgets include:

• $232 million increase in funding for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and Community College Guarantee, for a total of $532 million
• Increasing funding for Promise Zones by $5 million, for a total of $48.3 million
• Increasing the K-12 foundation allowance to a record $10,300 per pupil
• Funding for dual enrollment, ranging from $20-60 million for MCAN’s recommended reforms
• Increasing funding for career and technical education by 5-6%
• Increasing funding for adult education by at least $7.6 million
• Continued State appropriation for MCAN at $3 million

Areas that are not aligned in the budgets that MCAN is watching closely include operational funding for public universities, with budgets ranging from a 1% increase in the Senate and 0% change in the Executive to a 27% decrease in the House; funding for community colleges, ranging from a 4% increase in the Senate to a 3% cut in the House; $10 million in FAFSA completion funding that is retained by the Executive and Senate but eliminated in the House; and Michigan Reconnect expansion, with both the Executive and Senate increasing funding to lower the age of eligibility from 25 to 21 while the House maintains current eligibility requirements.

“We knew the budget was going to be tighter this year, so we’re grateful that our lawmakers are continuing to prioritize funding for K-12 and higher education,” said MCAN Executive Director Ryan Fewins-Bliss. “Reaching Michigan’s Sixty by 30 attainment goal requires sustained, purposeful investments in our students — especially those who have been historically underserved, including students from low-income backgrounds, first-generation college-going students, students of color and men in college — and these proposals continue to move us forward.

“At the same time, many of these investments rely on one-time funding streams. To truly support students and institutions, Michigan must move toward stable, ongoing funding that reflects the permanence of these needs. We look forward to working with legislators and the governor’s office to ensure these critical investments are not only preserved, but strengthened for the long term.”

For more information, view MCAN's FY27 Michigan College Access and Success Budget Tracker.