Essential workers have until Dec. 31 to apply for free community college tuition
The deadline for essential Michigan workers to apply for free college tuition as part of the state’s Futures for Frontlines Program is Dec. 31.
The program, open to the state’s the state’s over 600,000 critical workforce, is also available to those who have not completed high school. Launched in September, the program was inspired by the federal GI Bill, which provides educational assistance to servicemembers, veterans, and their dependents nationwide. To date, 100,000 essential workers have applied.
Essential workers are eligible for education assistance through this new program if they worked in an essential industry at least part-time for 11 of the 13 weeks between April – June 2020. This was the period in which the state’s COVID-19 Stay Home, Stay Safe orders were in place.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said frontline workers put their lives on the line every day to provide crucial support to Michigan families during this pandemic, and they deserve support long after this crisis is over.
“That’s what the Futures for Frontliners program is all about,” she said. “I encourage everyone who is eligible to take advantage of this free path to a degree or skills certificate they’ve been dreaming about. This initiative is not only a way to say, ‘ thank you,’ it’s an opportunity to provide a pathway to better paying jobs.”
Frontline workers are being encouraged to visit www.michigan.gov/ Frontliners to explore statewide and regional career opportunities, a list of local community colleges and complete their application before the Dec. 31 deadline. The program dollars are being provided by the Governor’s Education Emergency Relief (GEER) Fund, which is funded by the state’s $3 billion federal CARES Acts allocation.
Eligibility requirements include:
• Be a Michigan resident
• Have worked in an essential industry at least part-time for 11 of the 13 weeks between April 1– June 30, 2020
• Have been required by their job to work outside the home at least some of the time between April 1 – June 30, 2020
• Not have previously earned an associate or bachelor’s degree
• Not be in default on a Federal student loan
• Complete a Futures for Frontliners scholarship application by 11:59 p.m., Dec. 31, 2020
Who is considered an essential employee?
Using guidance from the federal government, essential workers would include:
• Health care and public health, including hygiene, hazardous materials, and environmental health
• Law enforcement, public safety, and first responders
• Food and agriculture
• Energy
• Water and wastewater
• Transportation and logistics
• Public works
• Communications and information technology ( IT), including frontline news media
• Other communitybased government operations and essential functions
• Critical manufacturing
• Financial services
• Chemical supply chains and safety
• Defense industrial base
• Industrial, Commercial, Residential, and Sheltering Facilities and Services
Last year, Whitmer announced the Sixty by 30 goal, a statewide goal to increase the number of working-age Michiganders with a post-secondary degree or credential to 60 percent by 2030. According to the Lumina Foundation, Michigan’s current post-secondary attainment is 49%, its highest rate ever. The nationwide attainment rate is 51.3%.
Oakland County has the state’s second-highest post-secondary attainment rate at 57.7%, just behind Washtenaw County at 64.6%.
Kerry Ebersole, Office of Sixty by 30 director, said prioritizing the talent needs is essential to economic growth and prosperity for all.
“Creating equal access to education opens doors to develop skills that put hardworking Michiganders in a high-demand career, increase pay and fulfill dreams for those seeking a better quality of life for themselves and their families,” she said.
Michiganders who may not qualify for free tuition through Futures for Frontliners are encouraged to explore other opportunities to earn college credit or a certificate free of charge through the states Sixty by 30 efforts aimed at ensuring 60% of working-age Michiganders have a degree or certificate beyond high school by 2030.
In early 2021, Michiganders age 25 and older will be able to apply for free college tuition through Michigan Reconnect – providing the tools necessary for every Michigander to find a rewarding career.