Michigan launches $10M scholarship program for students seeking high-demand jobs

Students and adults seeking a path into in-demand jobs such as health care, information technology, advanced manufacturing, construction and automotive could get a state-funded scholarship of up to $4,000 over two years to lower costs of their education, officials announced Monday.

The new scholarship, known as the Michigan Achievement Skills Scholarship, will be awarded to high school students, and adults with a high school equivalency completed in 2023 or later from $10 million in the state's 2023-24 budget. It can be used at most of the state's community colleges, and some private training programs, and begins immediately.

“Through programs like the Michigan Achievement Skills Scholarship, we are preparing Michiganders for rewarding careers in high-demand industries while supporting businesses with the highly skilled talent they need to compete and grow,” said Susan Corbin, director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, in a statement. “Investments like these are critical to helping fuel the jobs that are vital to our state’s economic momentum and our goals to expand economic prosperity to all.”

Officials announced the launch of the new scholarship during a Monday remote press conference with comments from Sarah Szurpicki, director of LEO’s Office of Sixty by 30, which aims to arm the state's residents, age 25-64, with a degree or certificate by 2030. Michigan's attainment rate is 50.5%, according to data provided by the Lumina Foundation, a private Indianapolis foundation working to increase opportunities for education beyond high school.

"We're very excited today to be adding to the tools to our tool box," Szurpicki said. “The Michigan Achievement Skills Scholarship provides yet another opportunity for students to explore the career training path that is right for them and allows them to save thousands of dollars while pursuing that career in a high-demand field.”

The programs that are approved for participation have a track record and met certain criteria, she added.

"We can see in their data of helping their participants of earning higher wages after completion," Szurpicki said.

Officials say it adds to the Michigan Achievement Scholarship launched by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last year to lower higher education costs for Michigan residents, which started with the incoming class of 2023. Official numbers for that scholarship will not be available until November, but Diann Cosme, director of Student Scholarships, Grants and Outreach for the Michigan Department of Treasury, estimated approximately 40,000 awards.

“The Michigan Achievement Scholarship has been a great addition to the breadth of tuition-assistance scholarships ... reducing the costs for students to attend an eligible Michigan college or university by thousands of dollars,” Cosme said. “The Skills Scholarship offers another pathway to this program.”  

Students seeking to become eligible for the Michigan Achievement Skills Scholarship must have been a resident of Michigan for at least one year, graduated from a Michigan high school and have not yet earned any college degree or certificate.

Students also must complete an application through the Michigan Student Aid Student Scholarships and Grants portal (MiSSG), which is administered through the Michigan Department of Treasury. They will need to make clear a career training provider from eligible programs at Michigan.gov/CareerTraining.

kkozlowski@detroitnews.com