Michigan high school graduates will be able to attend community college tuition-free.

ichigan high schoolers will be able to attend a local community college without paying tuition starting next fall.

The Michigan Legislature approved funding for the new plan, which allows high school graduates to earn an associate’s degree or certificate at an in-district community college, last month as part of the state’s $19 billion school aid budget for fiscal year 2025.

It marks the realization of a goal Governor Gretchen Whitmer laid out during her 2024 State of the State address, WXYZ, Detroit’s ABC affiliate, reported.  “In our next budget, let’s make the first two years of community college in Michigan tuition free for every high school graduate,” she said back in January.

In 2021, the state launched Michigan Reconnect, a last-dollar program that covers tuition for an associate degree or skills certificate in high-demand careers for students over 25 who don’t already have a college degree. Last year, the state temporarily lowered the age of eligibility to 21.