[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6264183,"mediaKeyId","3098711-5a4f400e071c47414772ec29d8da028e","parentId",3098711,"title","College access group urges continued funding for FAFSA outreach, Reconnect and MyLEAP; flags AmeriCorps and federal changes as looming threats","audioSeconds",1783,"startMs",1787000,"endMs",3151,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3098711-5a4f400e071c47414772ec29d8da028e&start=1787&end=3","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3098711-5a4f400e071c47414772ec29d8da028e/thumbnail_1787000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6264183/Michigan/College-access-group-urges-continued-funding-for-FAFSA-outreach-Reconnect-and-MyLEAP-flags-AmeriCorps-and-federal-changes-as-looming-threats","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6264183-c00f1fa6fb5918edabf154f72bcb6458/orig.mp4?Expires=1771083285&Signature=BFUpkgR1uMqaCr09utkHMPfrkZDUzuSej0DmTAtSLPK9V742cPEBJTdt7iSou7qK-rd3kEDESgADyoT~43neVg4RLGXK1LflTqaxrrVmANx2X19J2AYdMMh8y3jYV5xwA1FMl2sCeouuhjf6Scdb9q3xnOO1nQ67zBCf9QmuG5PBQq1eoiR-eyF3UWUNn1APrxUQ7StPlr~s1P2Ds-kuo9TBtkF~qJgfyk78YQwEmzxRcOARHrMJJFWbLwWiNJTb~AEI2xNzA4NrPNlUtdOwnQZO2EI8uuW-0RlChHn7h21lA~ikBdmK8V5qtlxYVEpoJtlqLqOSB7j~7i2MPRIMzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Michigan Legislature","date","2025-04-23T00:00:00Z","article","Ryan Fuensbliss, executive director of the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN), told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that state investments in financial aid and college-access infrastructure have yielded substantial results, but he warned of demographic challenges and federal changes that could undermine that progress.

Fuensbliss highlighted several programmatic wins: the Michigan Reconnect program (including a temporary expansion for ages 21–24 that attracted about 30,000–35,000 signups), the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, the creation of a centralized state unit (My LEAP) to coordinate access and success work, and state-funded FAFSA outreach. He described the statewide “Ticket to Tuition” FAFSA incentive program funded in the budget: \"Students who complete the FAFSA go to college,\" he said, explaining the lottery-style giveaway that will award 50 winners — 10 awards of $50,000 to 529 accounts and 40 awards of $10,000 to 529 accounts — to first-time FAFSA filers in Michigan.

Fuensbliss recommended continued budget support for financial aid programs, ongoing funding for My LEAP and student‑success grants, expansion of college‑in‑high‑school opportunities and dual‑enrollment funding reform, and continued appropriations for transfer and retention incentives. He said MCAN would like the temporary Reconnect eligibility change for 21–24 year olds codified to preserve that cohort’s access to aid.

He flagged federal risks: a reported functional reduction at the AmeriCorps agency could remove about $12 million in federal AmeriCorps funds that support advisors and other education roles in Michigan; changes at the U.S. Department of Education and the proposed reassignment of student loan servicing to the Small Business Administration also could create barriers that discourage students from pursuing college. \"We're worried about what that looks like to move student loans over to an agency that just might not be big enough to handle it,\" Fuensbliss said.

Fuensbliss asked lawmakers to keep funding college‑access infrastructure — K‑12 counselors, higher‑education partners, My LEAP and community organizations — and to maintain financial aid funding levels in the FY26 budget. The subcommittee received the testimony; no formal committee action was taken at the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Appropriations Sub - Universities and Community Colleges 25-04-23","oneSentenceSummary","Ryan Fuensbliss, executive director of the Michigan College Access Network, told the Senate subcommittee that state investments in financial aid and outreach — including Michigan Reconnect, the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, My LEAP and FAFSA outreach — have improved access, but federal changes and demographic shifts pose new risks.","taxTitle","Appropriations, 2025 Senate Legislature MI, Michigan","taxId",79407,"location","Michigan","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6264188,"Privates say elimination of Michigan Tuition Grant forced some adult students to drop plans; Davenport reports 400 students did not enroll",845,1016000,1861000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3098711-5a4f400e071c47414772ec29d8da028e&start=1016&end=1861","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3098711-5a4f400e071c47414772ec29d8da028e/thumbnail_1016000.jpg","/articles/6264188/Michigan/Privates-say-elimination-of-Michigan-Tuition-Grant-forced-some-adult-students-to-drop-plans-Davenport-reports-400-students-did-not-enroll","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6264188-0248c2c763bab383fbd56c6d2beb9afd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771083285&Signature=R9o9dFQQqijwafrZPY6IqWSna3RG2ohJxjvIXdnpLY4VvM4lj7~qfSPVxml-UJLq7XXhpuFMWclzmhfZKaWoGSr~pSj27DdHKwBht71HnJmkufDZYYdhzkrbY~wR4eCtK9FYa4Et9hsQzw1IoGjuWbiJlXge9cA~XTROJ9JVrbtPzkhbFvTKDK6thQEcLgbYxQ5UyBAALhI~~nce5ckPTSZMlmNoYdATu5R6mEO1HLL~B0GtaagqkMYw3mCXh3y5iq-raHK1wjWvxFrFg663mf-TLmyM39N7jPnVicfGQ8fA149vzAalVkrr6-3GdVdMfgxBMewlI63i68EPJB7kCg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dr. Richard Pappas, president of Davenport University, told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that the elimination of the Michigan Tuition Grant removed critical support for adult and part‑time students and contributed to enrollment losses at private colleges.

\"This past year we had 750 students enrolled who were expecting to receive the Michigan Tuition Grant ... we actually have 1,100 students who qualified for the Michigan Tuition Grant,\" Pappas told the subcommittee. He said Davenport moved unbudgeted funds to help affected students and that \"we just looked at, dragged together some parts of our budget and gave almost $400,000 of unbudgeted dollars\" to offset the loss for some students. Pappas said that, at Davenport, about 400 students who had qualified for the MTG did not enroll after the grant was eliminated.

Pappas said the MTG provided a $3,000 award that primarily supported adult and part‑time students and that its loss was an \"unintended consequence\" of creating the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which targets recent high‑school graduates. He told senators that roughly 15,000 students statewide qualified for the MTG prior to its elimination and asked the legislature to restore the MTG for the coming year.

A Davenport student, Jesse Ward, told the subcommittee he is a first‑generation college student who used the MTG to make college affordable. \"Because of the Michigan Tuition Grant, students receiving this grant can give back to their communities through service and volunteerism,\" Ward said, describing how the award allowed him to prioritize studies and campus leadership roles while avoiding heavier work hours.

Committee members asked for enrollment figures and noted the statewide scope of the issue. A subcommittee member said institutional reports estimate roughly 1,500 students statewide either enrolled or would have enrolled last fall who would have qualified but did not receive a grant; witnesses replied that institutions absorbed some costs to make students whole but that the scale of loss remains under review.

The testimony was informational; no committee action on restoring the grant occurred during the hearing.","Davenport University President Richard Pappas and nursing student Jesse Ward told the Senate subcommittee that elimination of the Michigan Tuition Grant (MTG) removed a key aid source for adult and part‑time students, prompting Davenport to use institutional funds to help some students and leading others not to enroll.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6264193,"Michigan public universities ask for 4.8% operating increase and $100 million for deferred maintenance in FY26",624,88000,712000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3098711-5a4f400e071c47414772ec29d8da028e&start=88&end=712","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3098711-5a4f400e071c47414772ec29d8da028e/thumbnail_88000.jpg","/articles/6264193/Michigan/Michigan-public-universities-ask-for-48-operating-increase-and-100-million-for-deferred-maintenance-in-FY26","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6264193-5f8c4a8e3305894b969d4660ebe9f1c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771083285&Signature=aJP-2FwuDBab-qRkgTA1g3US8zjZdo-1C8iUjZsGkt88uvgTUFrOZBkAyKQRyk0ecBa~ogyu30HjwjOJC3jZ7fHLn~zjy9yLU0Lpy2Z2mIhixghhLR9uiKwTdLtqR1dQlkTWyWKoT3C36ZU-qU3MOr9udtqfoUjU4RQmphcpN5uuMRgomcy5Ej-3~XeS4CVX7fHaOmF4pAJIZxQsf1InrIy2C0Cui-DSdgr3uhUh-fkf6-poB0hXnQfHoooeoHzprt~KMHqZKWpb89n1dCPllBks76CegaUy170264hArdoTrKZFn~JF2WLAUdgLMjzvzGGZK519yW1jpMJDsUXTXw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dan Hurley, CEO of the Michigan Association of State Universities, told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Universities and Community Colleges that Michigan’s public universities need increased operating support, continued expansion of the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and new funding for deferred campus maintenance as lawmakers prepare the FY26 budget.

Hurley told the panel the sector now enrolls roughly 260,000 students and that after a decade-long decline enrollment has shown modest increases in the past two years. He said research conducted at the state’s major research universities generates significant economic activity — citing about $3.3 billion in R&D at the three then-URC institutions and more than $25 billion in annual economic impact statewide — and pointed to studies showing a strong correlation between educational attainment and income.

\"We are asking for an increase in operating support of 4.8%,\" Hurley said, noting the governor's executive recommendation of 4%. He also asked the subcommittee to \"continue the build out\" of the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and to restore campus deferred maintenance funding, asking specifically for $100 million to address roughly $6.44 billion in identified campus maintenance needs. \"We're asking for a hundred million dollars, but frankly, any dollar amount is a recognition by this body that the state has a role in preserving what are very important state assets,\" Hurley said.

Hurley provided additional figures from materials in members’ folders: he said 34,500 recent entering students have received the Achievement Scholarship, with an average award of about $5,200, and he estimated roughly $180 million going to public university students through that award. Hurley also told senators the sector produced several tens of thousands of credentials annually and that the return on investment to individuals with a four‑year degree was large: citing a multi‑decade ROI study showing an average individual lifetime gain on the order of millions of dollars for graduates of Michigan public universities.

During questions, a subcommittee member asked what the sector could do in the face of federal research funding uncertainty and whether the state should backfill federal cuts. Hurley said university leaders are coordinating nationally and using reserves in some cases to keep research projects moving, but recommended focusing state attention on operating support rather than attempting to replace federal research dollars. \"Given everything else being threatened at the federal government, I would be a little hesitant on using state dollars to fill in, right now in any significant fashion, but rather focus again on operating support,\" he said.

The presentation consisted of stakeholder testimony and discussion; no formal action or vote on the requests occurred at the hearing. Members said they would consider the requests as the FY26 budget process proceeds.

","Dan Hurley of the Michigan Association of State Universities urged the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee to increase operating support for public universities by 4.8%, expand the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, and provide $100 million toward campus deferred maintenance as part of the FY26 budget.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

College access group urges continued funding for FAFSA outreach, Reconnect and MyLEAP; flags AmeriCorps and federal changes as looming threats

Privates say elimination of Michigan Tuition Grant forced some adult students to drop plans; Davenport reports 400 students did not enroll

Michigan public universities ask for 4.8% operating increase and $100 million for deferred maintenance in FY26