POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION
Financial Aid
Michigan currently has three need-based financial aid programs: the Tuition Incentive Program, which serves students from Medicaid-eligible households and is the only program in which need is based on income rather than estimated family contribution; the Michigan Tuition Grant, which is available only to students attending a private, not-for-profit institution; and the Michigan Competitive Scholarship, for which eligibility is based on both need and merit.
An ongoing issue with Michigan’s financial aid programs is to what degree the state should be using Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) dollars to pay for them rather than General Fund dollars. Because the Tuition Incentive Program serves students from families with low incomes, it makes sense to fund it partially or wholly with TANF dollars because a postsecondary credential is an effective way to help a young adult leave poverty or economic hardship. However, Michigan also uses TANF dollars to fund a large part of the other two aid programs, which serve middle-class and affluent students in addition to students from households with lower incomes.
In the 2020 budget year, for the first time in years, older students may finally get state financial aid to build their skills. Michigan has not provided financial aid to students out of high school for more than 10 years since 2009, when it discontinued the Part-Time Independent Student Grant, and 2011, when No Worker Left Behind ended .
- Governor: For budget year 2020, the governor has created the Michigan Reconnect program to provide debt-free tuition (as a last-dollar aid program) for up to two years for students over the age of 25 with a high school diploma, but not a two- or four-year degree. Programs at community colleges, technical training centers and community-based organizations would be eligible, with aid available to students beginning in the summer of 2019. Michigan Reconnect is expected to cost $50 million annually. Funding for 2019-2020 will not come from appropriations, but from carryover funds controlled by the Workforce Development Agency.
For Michigan’s three need-based financial aid programs, the Michigan Tuition Grant and Michigan Competitive Scholarship continue funding levels from the current year, while the Tuition Incentive Program gets a reduction. The governor reduces funding for the Tuition Incentive Program, which is paid for entirely with TANF dollars, from $64.3 million to $59.8 million to reflect savings from capping awards. The governor’s budget maintains the current funding levels for the Tuition Grant ($38 million) and the Competitive Scholarship ($32.4 million), but shifts $4.5 million in additional TANF money to replace General Fund dollars for these two programs, totaling $60.5 million in TANF for financial aid programs that serve affluent and middle-class students, in addition to those from households with low incomes.
The governor has proposed the Michigan Opportunity Initiative, which would provide two years of tuition-free community college or two years of tuition assistance at a public university or a four-year private not-for-profit college. This proposal is not funded in the current budget.
- Senate: The Senate rejects the governor’s cut to the Tuition Incentive Program, funding it at the current level of $64.3 million. The Senate agrees with the governor in continuing to fund the Competitive Scholarship and Tuition Grant at current levels and to shift an additional $4.5 million in TANF to these programs to replace General Fund dollars.
- House: The House rejects the governor’s cut to the Tuition Incentive Program and continues the current level of funding. The House agrees with the governor to maintain current funding levels for the Competitive Scholarship and Tuition Grant, but rejects the governor’s replacement of $4.5 million in General Fund dollars with TANF dollars.
Use of K-12 Funds for Postsecondary Education
From Budget Year 2012 through the current budget year, the governor and Legislature have pulled 15-34% of university operations funding, totaling nearly $2 billion, from the School Aid Fund (SAF) in order to free up General Fund dollars for other uses or for tax cuts. During the past two budgets, community college operations were 100% funded with SAF dollars.
- Governor: The governor’s 2020 budget discontinues the use of School Aid Fund dollars to fund state universities, replacing all SAF dollars with General Fund dollars. However, the governor’s budget continues the current year’s appropriation of $408.2 million in SAF dollars for community colleges, but the increase of $9.7 million comes from the General Fund.
- Senate: In the use of the School Aid Fund for universities, the Senate goes in the opposite direction of the governor by increasing SAF funding for universities by $449,000 over the current year, to $500.5 million. The Senate also increases SAF funding for community colleges by $3.3 million to $411.5 million, for a total of $912 million in SAF dollars diverted from K-12 to postsecondary education.
- House: The House concurs with the governor in discontinuing the use of School Aid Fund dollars for universities and replacing the current SAF funding with dollars from the General Fund. However, unlike the governor, who continued the current level of SAF going to community colleges while using General Fund dollars for additional funding, the House increases SAF funding for community colleges by $6.5 million, to $414.7 million.
Tuition Restraint
In recent years, the Legislature has helped keep tuition increases down through the use of “tuition restraint.” Universities and community colleges set their own tuition rates, but because university tuition has increased dramatically over the past 15 years (due in part to decreasing state support), funding increases to each university are contingent on whether the university plans to keep the upcoming year’s tuition increase below a specific threshold. The League supports this intervention by the Legislature to temper tuition increases, but urges the Legislature to go further and replace a greater share of the funding cut from universities over the years in exchange for tuition reduction rather than just tuition restraint.
- Governor: For the current year, the tuition increase cap for universities was set at 3.8% or $490, whichever is greater. For budget year 2020, the governor reduces the cap to 3.2% or $427, whichever is greater. The governor has introduced a similar tuition restraint for community colleges to limit tuition and fee increases to 3.2% or $128, whichever is higher.
- Senate: The Senate moves in the opposite direction of the governor, increasing the tuition cap for universities to 4.4% or $587, whichever is greater. The Senate does not include the governor’s tuition restraint provision for community colleges.
- House: The House includes the governor’s tuition restraint provisions for community colleges and for universities.
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
