Michigan Frontline Workers Qualify for Free College Tuition

If you’re a custodian, maintenance worker, or other type of frontline workers who provided essential services during the state’s shelter at home orders, between April and June 2000, you qualify for free tuition to community colleges under Michigan’s new Futures for Frontliners program.

The program, which was announced last week, offers Michigan adults without college degrees or high school diplomas a tuition-free method to gain the skills needed to obtain high-demand, high-wage careers. To be eligible for the program, applicants must:

• Be a Michigan resident
• Have worked in an essential industry at least part-time for 11 of the 13 weeks between April 1–June 30, 2020
• Been required to work outside the home at least some of the time between April 1–June 30, 2020
• Not have previously earned an associate or bachelor’s degree
• Not be in default on a federal student loan
• Complete a Futures for Frontliners scholarship application by 11:59 p.m., Dec. 31, 2020.

The program is a US$24 million investment funded by Governor’s Education Emergency Relief (GEER) Fund—part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Frontline workers are encouraged to visit www.michigan.gov/Frontliners to explore career opportunities, a list of local community colleges, and get started on their application.