Michigan College Access Network (MCAN), working in partnership with the Michigan Adult, Community and Alternative Education (MACAE), announces a series of grant opportunities available for Michigan’s adult education providers to implement successful strategies to increase FAFSA completion and postsecondary awareness for graduating adult students. These grants will allow providers to successfully grow the resources and tools to assist adult learners with postsecondary transition.
IMPORTANT DATES
Application Release: Funding opportunity made available on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
Deadline: Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis. Funds will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis providing a total of about 20 grants.
Application Notification: Successful applicants will be notified within two weeks of their application.
ELIGIBILITY
Eligible applicants will be adult education providers or Michigan Works! entities currently serving participants in completion of their high school diploma, high school equivalency, or certificate of completion or pursuing postsecondary. Eligibility questions should be directed to: Patrick Brown, Director of Adult Student Attainment Strategy, patrick@micollegeaccess.org or 517-582-8994.
APPLICATION ASSISTANCE
Applicants are encouraged to contact MCAN to inquire about eligibility and to request technical assistance. Please contact Patrick Brown, Director of Adult Student Attainment Strategy, patrick@micollegeaccess.org or 517-582-8994. for assistance with your application or help with the online application portal (mcan.smapply.org).
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
Proposals are only accepted using Michigan College Access Network’s online grants system www.mcan.smapply.org.
GRANT AWARD
Grants will be awarded on the basis of the annual student population total served by the institution in an annual program year. A program year consists of operations from July-June. MCAN will offer a series of grants that break down as follows: $2,000 for adult education providers serving more than 200 students on an annual basis, $1,000 for adult education providers serving between 100-200 students on an annual basis, $500 for adult education providers serving less than 100 students on an annual basis. These grants are not intended to be a renewable or long-term funding source. The grant period will have a start date of July 1, 2025 and end date of June 30, 2026.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
As a part of Michigan College Access Network’s expanded focus on adult student attainment, the Adult Education FAFSA Frenzy Completion grants serve as an opportunity for adult education providers across the state to think creatively and innovatively about how to increase FAFSA completion and postsecondary opportunity exposure for adult learners.
This population of learners is often seen as being left out of postsecondary opportunities. These grants will spur increased awareness of postsecondary opportunities for adult learners whether it's empowering them to access tuition free higher education in Michigan’s in-district community colleges or positioning them to consider options for additional education good-paying, high wage-earning jobs.
Most importantly, this opportunity is intended to directly support the adult learner practitioner programs who directly work with adult learners. These grants will allow for adult education programs to try innovative approaches to increase FAFSA completion, expanding program capacity and innovation to meet this need.
Providers will participate in the grant by electing to do work largely in three buckets:
Directly assisting adult learners who are interested in pursuing postsecondary opportunities in completion of the Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA)
Providing college and career exposure opportunities for adult learners on-site or virtually
Participation in MCAN professional development on statewide postsecondary education efforts
ABOUT THE MICHIGAN COLLEGE ACCESS NETWORK (MCAN)
As the leader in the state’s college access movement, MCAN works to improve the futures of Michigan’s students and communities by making college accessible to all. MCAN’s work centers on one main goal: To increase Michigan’s postsecondary educational attainment rate to 60% by 2030. MCAN engages partners statewide who are committed to systems-level change and the reduction of barriers to increase college readiness, participation and completion rates, particularly among low-income students, first-generation college-going students and students of color. For more information, visit micollegeaccess.org.
Adult Education FAFSA Frenzy
Michigan College Access Network (MCAN), working in partnership with the Michigan Adult, Community and Alternative Education (MACAE), announces a series of grant opportunities available for Michigan’s adult education providers to implement successful strategies to increase FAFSA completion and postsecondary awareness for graduating adult students. These grants will allow providers to successfully grow the resources and tools to assist adult learners with postsecondary transition.
IMPORTANT DATES
Application Release: Funding opportunity made available on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
Deadline: Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis. Funds will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis providing a total of about 20 grants.
Application Notification: Successful applicants will be notified within two weeks of their application.
ELIGIBILITY
Eligible applicants will be adult education providers or Michigan Works! entities currently serving participants in completion of their high school diploma, high school equivalency, or certificate of completion or pursuing postsecondary. Eligibility questions should be directed to: Patrick Brown, Director of Adult Student Attainment Strategy, patrick@micollegeaccess.org or 517-582-8994.
APPLICATION ASSISTANCE
Applicants are encouraged to contact MCAN to inquire about eligibility and to request technical assistance. Please contact Patrick Brown, Director of Adult Student Attainment Strategy, patrick@micollegeaccess.org or 517-582-8994. for assistance with your application or help with the online application portal (mcan.smapply.org).
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
Proposals are only accepted using Michigan College Access Network’s online grants system www.mcan.smapply.org.
GRANT AWARD
Grants will be awarded on the basis of the annual student population total served by the institution in an annual program year. A program year consists of operations from July-June. MCAN will offer a series of grants that break down as follows: $2,000 for adult education providers serving more than 200 students on an annual basis, $1,000 for adult education providers serving between 100-200 students on an annual basis, $500 for adult education providers serving less than 100 students on an annual basis. These grants are not intended to be a renewable or long-term funding source. The grant period will have a start date of July 1, 2025 and end date of June 30, 2026.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
As a part of Michigan College Access Network’s expanded focus on adult student attainment, the Adult Education FAFSA Frenzy Completion grants serve as an opportunity for adult education providers across the state to think creatively and innovatively about how to increase FAFSA completion and postsecondary opportunity exposure for adult learners.
This population of learners is often seen as being left out of postsecondary opportunities. These grants will spur increased awareness of postsecondary opportunities for adult learners whether it's empowering them to access tuition free higher education in Michigan’s in-district community colleges or positioning them to consider options for additional education good-paying, high wage-earning jobs.
Most importantly, this opportunity is intended to directly support the adult learner practitioner programs who directly work with adult learners. These grants will allow for adult education programs to try innovative approaches to increase FAFSA completion, expanding program capacity and innovation to meet this need.
Providers will participate in the grant by electing to do work largely in three buckets:
Directly assisting adult learners who are interested in pursuing postsecondary opportunities in completion of the Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA)
Providing college and career exposure opportunities for adult learners on-site or virtually
Participation in MCAN professional development on statewide postsecondary education efforts
ABOUT THE MICHIGAN COLLEGE ACCESS NETWORK (MCAN)
As the leader in the state’s college access movement, MCAN works to improve the futures of Michigan’s students and communities by making college accessible to all. MCAN’s work centers on one main goal: To increase Michigan’s postsecondary educational attainment rate to 60% by 2030. MCAN engages partners statewide who are committed to systems-level change and the reduction of barriers to increase college readiness, participation and completion rates, particularly among low-income students, first-generation college-going students and students of color. For more information, visit micollegeaccess.org.