Downriver Today

First-time college students in Michigan and working-age adults going back to school will be helped by a recent $6 million bipartisan investment.

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II was on hand recently at Washtenaw Community College (WCC) to highlight the investments in the Michigan Reconnect and the Futures for Frontliners programs, a press release from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office said.

“College is very difficult to do on your own and just didn’t seem doable for me with two little kids to support,” WCC and Michigan Reconnect student Carmen Samaniego said in the release. “WCC and the Reconnect program are making a college education attainable for me. If you’re over 25, you can go to college for free. It sounds too good to be true, but it is true.”

Phil Santer, Ann Arbor SPARK senior vice president and chief of staff, believes that Michigan Reconnect will be crucial to economic growth in the Ann Arbor area and beyond.

“The reliability and adaptability of talent is a key factor in keeping existing jobs in a community, and in attracting new companies to a region,” Santer said in the release. “The talent pipeline is strong in the greater Ann Arbor region. Michigan Reconnect and this new investment will make it even stronger.”

Gilchrist noted that he hopes every resident in the state gets informed about the programs and that the grants are an example of how the government is attempting to help everyone prosper.

“Michigan Reconnect is helping tens of thousands of hardworking people take the first step toward a brighter future, and it is providing employers with the highly skilled workers they need to keep and grow their businesses throughout the state of Michigan,” he said in the release.