Michigan’s economy is sending a clear signal. By 2031, 7 in 10 working-age residents will need a college degree or postsecondary certificate to fill the jobs our employers are creating. We are nowhere near that mark. And every year we fall short, Michigan families lose earning power, businesses struggle to find workers, and a stable economic future inches further out of reach.
Ryan Fewins-Bliss is executive director of Michigan College Access Network. (Courtesy photo)
Michigan has set a goal of 60% credential attainment by 2030. We haven’t hit it yet. But even if we did, it wouldn’t be enough. Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce projects our economy will actually need 69% by 2031. That nine-point gap is not an abstraction. It is the nurse we can’t hire at a rural hospital. It is the electrician we can’t find to build the next Michigan factory. It is the family that had to leave the state to build the future they couldn’t afford here.
This is not an education problem. It is an affordability problem.
Michigan has made great strides in improving college affordability, but the system is still confusing and intimidating for too many students, especially first-generation college-going students, low-income students and those who don’t have experienced adults to guide them through the process. This means jobs we rely on go unfilled, because students don’t see the pathway to a nursing certificate, a trade apprenticeship, an associate degree or other degrees that give them the skills to thrive in the modern workforce.
Michigan has already proven it can do better. Michigan Reconnect — the program that provides tuition-free community college for adults — enrolled 30,000 new students with a single eligibility expansion. The Michigan Achievement Scholarship is making college affordable for students who never thought it was within reach. These programs work. They change lives. And they prove that when Michigan makes it easier and more affordable, Michiganders show up.
The next governor of Michigan will inherit not just a gap to close, but a foundation to build on. The opportunity is real, and the roadmap is clear.
First: Lower the cost, right now. Permanently expand Michigan Reconnect to cover adults as young as 21. Strengthen the Michigan Achievement Scholarship so more families qualify and can hold onto aid longer. Close the funding gap for adult learners pursuing bachelor’s degrees — a population currently left out of state support entirely. Require colleges to streamline financial aid processes so families can make informed choices without drowning in fine print.
Second: Cut the red tape. Michigan workers shouldn’t have to pay twice for skills they already have. Work with colleges to consistently recognize and award credit for prior learning — the knowledge workers gain on the job — helping students save time and money. Expanding credit-bearing apprenticeships and dual enrollment means students can arrive at college with credits already banked, reducing the bill before it ever starts.
This is not a debate about college for everyone. It is a debate about whether Michigan will be a state where every family can afford the training, the certificate, the degree — whatever path leads to a good-paying job. The nurse. The electrician. The emergency responder. The worker who has spent 20 years on the job but needs new skills to thrive in today’s economy. Every degree counts. Every Michigan worker counts.
Michigan’s Higher Education Attainment Roundtable has laid out a clear, 10-point roadmap to get us there. Michigan College Access Network has spent years gathering the evidence behind these recommendations. The programs are tested. The data is clear.
You shouldn’t have to leave Michigan to afford your future.
What’s needed now is the political will to finish the job. Michigan families are watching this race as stakeholders, not spectators. Michigan students and families need a governor who understands that affordability includes the cost of opportunity, and that college and career training must be within reach for everyone.
The next governor has a once-in-a-generation chance to make that Michigan real. The foundation is built. The tools are ready. The only question is whether our next leader will pick them up.
Related
Bridge welcomes guest columns from a diverse range of people on issues relating to Michigan and its future. The views and assertions of these writers do not necessarily reflect those of Bridge or The Center for Michigan. Bridge does not endorse any individual guest commentary submission. If you are interested in submitting a guest commentary, email your submission or idea to guestcommentary@bridgemi.com. Click here for details and submission guidelines.
Opinion | Next Michigan governor has once-in-a-generation opportunity. Will they take it?
by Ryan Fewins-Bliss, Bridge Michigan June 25, 2026
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Opinion | Next Michigan governor has once-in-a-generation opportunity. Will they take it?
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Michigan’s economy is sending a clear signal. By 2031, 7 in 10 working-age residents will need a college degree or postsecondary certificate to fill the jobs our employers are creating. We are nowhere near that mark. And every year we fall short, Michigan families lose earning power, businesses struggle to find workers, and a stable economic future inches further out of reach.
Michigan has set a goal of 60% credential attainment by 2030. We haven’t hit it yet. But even if we did, it wouldn’t be enough. Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce projects our economy will actually need 69% by 2031. That nine-point gap is not an abstraction. It is the nurse we can’t hire at a rural hospital. It is the electrician we can’t find to build the next Michigan factory. It is the family that had to leave the state to build the future they couldn’t afford here.
This is not an education problem. It is an affordability problem.
Michigan has made great strides in improving college affordability, but the system is still confusing and intimidating for too many students, especially first-generation college-going students, low-income students and those who don’t have experienced adults to guide them through the process. This means jobs we rely on go unfilled, because students don’t see the pathway to a nursing certificate, a trade apprenticeship, an associate degree or other degrees that give them the skills to thrive in the modern workforce.
Michigan has already proven it can do better. Michigan Reconnect — the program that provides tuition-free community college for adults — enrolled 30,000 new students with a single eligibility expansion. The Michigan Achievement Scholarship is making college affordable for students who never thought it was within reach. These programs work. They change lives. And they prove that when Michigan makes it easier and more affordable, Michiganders show up.
The next governor of Michigan will inherit not just a gap to close, but a foundation to build on. The opportunity is real, and the roadmap is clear.
First: Lower the cost, right now. Permanently expand Michigan Reconnect to cover adults as young as 21. Strengthen the Michigan Achievement Scholarship so more families qualify and can hold onto aid longer. Close the funding gap for adult learners pursuing bachelor’s degrees — a population currently left out of state support entirely. Require colleges to streamline financial aid processes so families can make informed choices without drowning in fine print.
Second: Cut the red tape. Michigan workers shouldn’t have to pay twice for skills they already have. Work with colleges to consistently recognize and award credit for prior learning — the knowledge workers gain on the job — helping students save time and money. Expanding credit-bearing apprenticeships and dual enrollment means students can arrive at college with credits already banked, reducing the bill before it ever starts.
This is not a debate about college for everyone. It is a debate about whether Michigan will be a state where every family can afford the training, the certificate, the degree — whatever path leads to a good-paying job. The nurse. The electrician. The emergency responder. The worker who has spent 20 years on the job but needs new skills to thrive in today’s economy. Every degree counts. Every Michigan worker counts.
Michigan’s Higher Education Attainment Roundtable has laid out a clear, 10-point roadmap to get us there. Michigan College Access Network has spent years gathering the evidence behind these recommendations. The programs are tested. The data is clear.
You shouldn’t have to leave Michigan to afford your future.
What’s needed now is the political will to finish the job. Michigan families are watching this race as stakeholders, not spectators. Michigan students and families need a governor who understands that affordability includes the cost of opportunity, and that college and career training must be within reach for everyone.
The next governor has a once-in-a-generation chance to make that Michigan real. The foundation is built. The tools are ready. The only question is whether our next leader will pick them up.
Related
Bridge welcomes guest columns from a diverse range of people on issues relating to Michigan and its future. The views and assertions of these writers do not necessarily reflect those of Bridge or The Center for Michigan. Bridge does not endorse any individual guest commentary submission. If you are interested in submitting a guest commentary, email your submission or idea to guestcommentary@bridgemi.com. Click here for details and submission guidelines.