Beginning this fall, eligible individuals who graduated as part of the Class of 2023 or later can pursue an associate degree or skill certificate at Kellogg Community College tuition-free.
This is thanks to the state’s recently announced Community College Guarantee initiative, an expansion of the existing Michigan Achievement Scholarship that launched in December to lower the cost of college for Michigan students.
The existing program provides partial funding to offset the cost of college for students who graduate from high school in Michigan. The new Community College Guarantee, announced this summer as part of the state’s 2025 budget, expands that funding to cover the full cost of in-district tuition and mandatory fees at community colleges in Michigan – including KCC.
Both initiatives are part of the state’s Sixty by 30 goal to have 60% of Michigan’s working-age population earn a postsecondary degree or skill certificate by 2030.
The Community College Guarantee also provides an additional $1,000 bonus award for Pell-eligible students to use toward additional college costs. (Pell Grants are federal, need-based grants awarded primarily to low-income students.)
“Kellogg Community College is thrilled to participate in another supportive program that will increase access to education and employment opportunities for more local students,” KCC Dean of Enrollment Services and Financial Aid Nikki Jewell said. “The Community College Guarantee effectively removes a significant cost barrier for thousands of area students who otherwise might not have the resources to participate in higher education.”
All that eligible students have to do to qualify is to fill out the latest Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which can be completed for free online at studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.
Students and prospective students with questions about using the Community College Guarantee at KCC should contact the KCC Financial Aid Office at 269-965-4123 or finaid@kellogg.edu.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for free in-district tuition at KCC via the Community College Guarantee, students must:
- Complete the latest FAFSA
- Be a Michigan resident since July 1 of the previous calendar year
- Have graduated from a Michigan high school with a diploma or high school equivalency certificate in 2023 or after
- Enroll in college as a full-time student within 15 months of high school graduation
- Class of 2023 spring graduates must enroll by the Fall 2024 semester
- Class of 2024 spring graduates must enroll by the Fall 2025 semester
More information is available on the KCC website at kellogg.edu/ccg and on the state’s Community College Guarantee web page at michigan.gov/mistudentaid/programs/michigan-achievement-scholarship/community-college-guarantee.
Michigan Reconnect
While the Community College Guarantee is only available to Class of 2023 graduates and later, free in-district tuition is also available via the state’s ongoing Michigan Reconnect program. The program covers the cost of in-district tuition and mandatory fees for eligible students age 21 and older without a degree.
Students ages 21 to 24 are particularly encouraged to apply for the Michigan Reconnect program as soon as possible, as the state’s expansion offering the program to this age group is only anticipated to last till November; until last fall the program was only open to students ages 25 and up.
Information about Michigan Reconnect can be found at kellogg.edu/reconnect.
In-District vs. Out-of-District Tuition
Utilizing Community College Guarantee and Michigan Reconnect funding, students enrolling at and attending their local, in-district community college will be able to pursue their degree tuition-free, meaning they won’t have to pay for tuition, contact hours or mandatory fees out of pocket. Students who enroll in a community college outside of their district will need to pay the difference in cost after the in-district tuition cost is subtracted.
The total in-district tuition and fee rate at KCC this fall, for example, which applies to most Calhoun County residents, is $160.50 per credit hour. The total out-of-district tuition and fee rate, which applies to most Barry and Branch County students in KCC’s service district, is $243 per credit hour.
Under the Community College Guarantee and Michigan Reconnect programs, however, in-district students would have these costs waived entirely, while out-of-district students would only pay the $82.50 difference – a 66% reduction in the cost of tuition and fees.
In-district and out-of-district tuition rates as well as specific costs per class and a cost of attendance calculator can be found at kellogg.edu/tuition.
For more news about Kellogg Community College, view our latest press releases online at https://daily.kellogg.edu/category/news-releases.