A year of free tuition is being offered by Lake Michigan College. LMC President Trevor Kubatzke tells WSJM News the offer covers full tuition and fees up to 30 credit hours for students who enroll in the Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 semesters. With the Reconnect Michigan program, the state is already paying for tuition for those 25 years and older. Combine that with federal COVID money and local donors, and now is the time for such an offer.
“A month and a half ago, we started our discussions that a number of those dollars were directed toward students, toward students to get into programs with tuition and fees,” Kubatzke said. “So we started looking at what we had and we said, ‘Why don’t we just let everybody know that college is affordable and we’re going to make it free for a year?’”
Kubatzke says the LMC board of Trustees wanted to reach those under 25 who can’t afford college and help them start working toward a better life.
“When the federal government comes and gives us money, we don’t leave it on the table. We want to give it to our residents, give it to our students, and we want to use every dollar they are offering. So we don’t want to turn anything back to the federal government.”
A recent survey found nearly half of all LMC applicants who were admitted but never enrolled had to postpone college or opted to skip it because they couldn’t afford the cost. Kubatzke says this program is intended for those who want to seek a degree or certificate. You can learn about enrolling at LakeMichiganCollege.edu/Apply.
