Four Rural Michigan Universities Seek Associate Degree Access to Tuition Guarantee
Four Michigan public universities located in rural areas—Ferris State, Northern Michigan, Lake Superior State, and Michigan Tech—are lobbying state lawmakers to include their associate degree programs in the "Community College Guarantee," a program currently offering free tuition only at community…
Grand Rapids Kalamazoo Battle Creek, MI, October 28, 2026 —
Four public universities in rural Michigan are lobbying state lawmakers to make their associate degree programs eligible for the state’s Community College Guarantee, which currently offers free tuition only at community colleges.
The universities—Ferris State, Northern Michigan, Lake Superior State and Michigan Tech—say the program’s current limits can disadvantage students in areas without accessible community colleges. They argue that allowing students to use the guarantee for associate degree programs at their institutions would address that gap.
The universities also contend that expanding eligibility would support state goals for postsecondary education attainment. Their request would broaden the range of institutions where eligible students could pursue an associate degree with tuition covered under the program. The details provided do not specify how the universities would define eligible programs or students, or how the proposed expansion would be implemented.
The proposal raises a cost question alongside the access argument. Expanding the program to include university associate degree programs could involve additional costs, but no projected expense or funding plan was provided. The information available also does not identify a specific legislative proposal, a timeline for action, or lawmakers’ response to the request.
The universities’ lobbying effort centers on a difference in institutional eligibility: community colleges currently qualify for the tuition benefit, while the associate degree programs at the four universities are seeking inclusion. The institutions argue that geography matters because students in some rural areas may not have an accessible community college option.
Whether lawmakers will consider changing the program, and what conditions or funding would accompany any expansion, remains unclear based on the information provided. No decision, legislative action or outcome was specified.
Story summarized from the original created by Kim Kozlowski on bridgemi.com, see more information here.
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