Legislative Priorities

The Michigan Community College Association represents all 28 community colleges and three tribal colleges across the state. As the unified voice for Michigan’s community colleges, MCCA empowers institutions to lead in student success, talent development, and community vitality. Community colleges are uniquely responsive to local needs, governed by elected boards of trustees that are accountable to the voters they serve. They partner with local employers, the state, and others to strengthen the local economies, expand opportunity, and train the workforce that drives our communities forward.

Community College Values and Guiding Principles

• Student Success: Ensuring every learner regardless of age, income, or background can access, afford, and complete a credential that leads to opportunity. Investing in student success removes barriers to enrollment, persistence, and completion, advancing Michigan’s Sixty by 30 goal and expanding equitable opportunity statewide.
• Talent Development: Positioning community colleges as Michigan’s most effective engine for workforce readiness and economic mobility, connecting education to employment, and building the skilled workforce that helps businesses grow and families thrive.
• Community Vitality: Ensuring colleges have the resources, autonomy, and stability to meet local needs and drive regional growth. Locally governed by elected boards of trustees, Michigan’s community colleges are directly accountable to their communities. They leverage stable funding and local flexibility to sustain partnerships, strengthen regional economies, and preserve affordability for students.

Legislative Priorities to Advance Student Success, Talent Development and Community Vitality

• Increase operations grants to community colleges by 4% ($15 million) over FY26 funding levels (ongoing and one-time).
• Codify the Michigan Achievement Scholarship (MAS), including the Community College Guarantee and MAS Skills Scholarship, and continue building the Post Secondary Scholarship Fund to stay on track for full implementation as the program enters year four.
• Expand Michigan Reconnect eligibility to age 21 and provide the necessary funding to sustain and grow the program, estimated at a total investment of $67 million, while aligning with federal short-term Pell grants to maximize the use of federal funds in support of Michigan’s workforce development efforts.
• Modernize dual enrollment and Early Middle College by establishing a new funding stream outside the K–12 foundation allowance to prevent districts from being unintentionally penalized for participating, and by enacting policy reforms that expand access and ensure equity.
• Reduce the capital outlay institutional match requirement from 50% to 25% to create a common match level and accelerate approvals of project planning and construction authorizations.
• Invest $33.3 million for Infrastructure, Technology, Equipment, Maintenance, Safety, and Housing (ITEMS) for all community and tribal colleges.