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LANSING, M.I. – On October 3, 2025, policymakers finalized the final Michigan budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26. The $81 billion budget largely sustains recent investments in postsecondary access, affordability, and success.
Specifically, the budget includes:
- $10 million for FAFSA completion programming;
- Nearly $135 million in early postsecondary programming and test incentives (including career technical education (CTE), dual enrollment, early/middle colleges, AP, IB, and CLEP);
- Over $580 million in state financial aid programs for recent high school graduates, adults over the age of 25, students who had been on Medicaid, and individuals seeking to become educators, among other groups;
- Over $650 million for the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, including funding for increased capacity for the student grants portal and team and increasing awareness of postsecondary opportunities among men; and
- $1 million for student success and wraparound supports.
Additionally, the budget includes critical investments in both K-12 and higher education operational funding, the popular and effective universal school lunch and student mental health programs, and improved data management and transparency.
The following statement can be attributed to Jessica Thompson, Senior Vice President of The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS):
“TICAS applauds Governor Whitmer and the Michigan legislature on finalizing a bipartisan budget that provides a strong foundation for Michigan students, simplifying state financial aid programs, and maintaining the capacity of the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). Given the challenges posed by recent changes in federal funding that reduce revenue for the state, meeting these goals through compromise is both more difficult and more important than ever for students.
“By sustaining recent investments in postsecondary access, affordability, and success, the state can continue recent progress toward meeting its 60 by 30 educational attainment goal through clearer, more streamlined education-to-workforce pathways for Michiganders of all ages.
“Despite the largely positive news in the education budgets, policymakers could not advance key affordable housing, workforce development, and foster care programs proposed earlier this year. We will closely monitor how changes in services impact student access to basic needs resources.
“TICAS will continue working with partners to codify the Michigan Achievement Scholarship. We also remain committed to helping further streamline the state aid process, centralize information on available aid, and improve communication and take-up of available resources. Together, we look forward to continued opportunities to develop bipartisan and creative solutions that help address the ongoing barriers preventing Michiganders from thriving in our state.”
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