Kresge’s Education Program works to expand postsecondary access and success for students from low-income backgrounds, work that depends on state systems built to reach adults who started college but never finished. In Michigan, much of that effort runs through the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, known as MiLEAP, which oversees learning from preschool through postsecondary and connects it to the labor market. Among its signature efforts is Michigan Reconnect, a last-dollar scholarship that since 2021 has covered tuition at community and Tribal colleges for adults without a degree. More than 82,000 Michiganders have enrolled and nearly 20,000 have graduated.

In August, the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics (MCDA) released the first look at what happens to those graduates, matching program records against state unemployment insurance wage data. The employment rate among graduates rose by more than 12 percentage points. One year out, median wages were $13,400 higher than before enrollment and $16,500 higher than wages for peers with only a high school diploma.

More graduates worked in health care and education, fewer in retail and food service. Michigan spends about $2,500 on the average Reconnector (Reconnect graduates), an investment the center estimates the state recoups through income taxes on higher earnings about seven years after graduation. We asked Sarah Szurpicki, MiLEAP’s deputy director for higher education, what the findings mean for funders and policymakers.

Q: Reconnect has enrolled more than 82,000 Michiganders since 2021, but until now the public numbers have mostly been about applications and enrollment. What does the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics study let you say about the program that you couldn’t say before?

A: The study shows that not only is Reconnect a great investment for an individual who wants to complete their college education or get a career boost, it’s also a great investment for the state. Over time, Michigan’s taxpayers will earn this investment back through increased taxes on higher earnings.

Q: The study found median wages for Reconnect graduates were $13,400 higher one year after graduation than before enrollment, and $16,500 higher than peers with only a high school diploma. What’s behind a gain that size?

A: This is consistent with other state and national data: the completion of higher education prepares people for good-paying jobs. That was true when Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer set the Sixty by 30 goal and is perhaps even more true today. A certificate or an associate degree — or completing the first steps on a path towards a bachelor’s degree—prepares people to earn more.

Q: Graduates were more likely to be working in health care and education afterward, and less likely to be in retail and food service. What does that shift mean for Michigan’s labor market, particularly in sectors where employers say they can’t find workers?

A: We’re thrilled to see people moving into high-demand fields like health care and education, where we know we have workforce shortages. Reconnect is helping build those talent pipelines while giving Michiganders the opportunity to pursue careers with strong demand.

Q: MCDA estimates the state recoups its roughly $2,500 investment per Reconnector within seven years through income taxes alone. How should policymakers weigh that return against other economic development tools competing for the same dollars?

A: While we don’t necessarily see this as a competition between investments, we know that the best investments for the long-term prosperity of our state are those we make in the people of Michigan. Employers increasingly choose where to keep or start businesses based on where they can find the talent they need. Creating a talented labor force will make Michigan more adaptable for whatever the next 100 years bring to the job market. And a degree or industry-recognized credential is a durable investment – it becomes more valuable over time, helping people to earn more not just one or two years after graduation, but throughout their lifetime.

Q: This year the state lowered the eligibility age to 21, opening Reconnect to a group that couldn’t apply before. What do you expect that to change and what are you watching for as that group moves through?

A: What we saw when Reconnect was temporarily open in 2023 to students aged 21-24 was, of course, an influx of new students – and those students, simply by being a bit younger, have fewer competing priorities. Consequently, they are able to enroll in more credits and persist a bit faster towards a degree. As we welcome this age group back, we anticipate the same momentum.

Q: Michigan is at about 52% credential attainment against the Sixty by 30 goal. Tuition is one barrier; the dashboard shows nearly half of Reconnect students earned fewer than 12 credits last year. Where do colleges, employers and funders need to come in beyond the scholarship? 

A: We know that most Reconnectors are balancing several competing priorities — almost all of them work, and many are parenting or caregiving for other family members. Reconnect covers tuition and mandatory fees but doesn’t cover the cost of living or other expenses. We encourage employers and funders to offer additional support, like book scholarships or emergency grants for things like car repair. When people are juggling a lot, one thing going wrong can derail them.

On a larger scale, we need to keep investing in innovative partnerships for meeting students’ basic needs, such as community and mental health providers partnering to provide support on campuses, or other entities that provide emergency housing or food assistance. Our 2025 College Student Basic Need Task Force report, Barriers to Bridges, makes 12 priority recommendations for how Michigan can better meet the needs of financially insecure students. Partners outside of higher ed can help make those recommendations reality.