New state funds will provide opportunities for high school students to take classes at Schoolcraft College in several programs.
A new pilot program plans to connect high school students with occupational collegiate coursework through Schoolcraft College.
The first-of-its-kind program in Michigan will expand the College’s Early Middle College Program to include occupational options. This will allow high school students to take college courses at Schoolcraft College in new tracks, including Health Care, Public Safety, Manufacturing and Engineering. Tuition and fees, as well as books and other potential costs, would be covered by state and federal funding.
Funding for the program will come from the most-recently approved state budget, an item proposed by Sen. Dayna Polehanki that saw approval from the legislature and signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Once implemented, the program incentivizes K-12 institutions to encourage high school students to take college courses during their junior and senior years.
“This program is crucial to getting students exposed to these important career fields as early as possible, and we’re so glad to be the first to offer this opportunity in Michigan,” said Dr. Glenn Cerny, President of Schoolcraft College. “We’re confident this will help jumpstart these high school students’ collegiate careers and give them opportunities they may not otherwise have. We’re grateful to the state legislature for seeing the value in this program.”
This would expand on Schoolcraft College’s Early Middle College Track, SC Edge, which is currently offered online. Courses would include those in occupational tracks as well as Liberal Arts & Sciences prerequisites.
“I am pleased to know that young students will be able to engage with exciting career-technical opportunities at Schoolcraft College,” Polehanki said. “These funds are an investment in our youth and in our workforce.”
The program is expected to launch in early 2024, beginning with the Clarenceville School District. This new program expands the relationship between Schoolcraft College and Clarenceville schools: the two educational systems began a partnership in 2022 that invited the district’s eighth-grade students to the College’s campuses to explore potential career opportunities. Additional schools may also be added to the new pilot program in the future.