Senators Stabenow, Peters Announce Support to Help Mid Michigan Community College Students Graduate

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Michigan Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters today announced $219,021 to give Mid Michigan Community College students, many of whom are the first in their family to go to college, coaching and skill development so they have a better shot at graduating. This support is available through the Department of Education's TRIO Student Support Services Program, which helps low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities graduate college.

"Students who work hard and are accepted to college deserve every opportunity to succeed," said Stabenow. "Thanks to today's announcement, more Mid Michigan Community College students will get tutoring, financial aid counseling, and other support they need to finish school."

"Higher education is a pathway to economic opportunity and a strong future, and we must ensure that the dream of completing a degree is within reach for Michigan students," Peters said. "This support will help more students at Mid Michigan Community College successfully finish their programs and start their careers."

Senator Stabenow is a strong supporter of making sure that all students who work hard to get into college are given tools and resources to succeed. In April, Senator Stabenow introduced the Early Pell Promise Act, which guarantees two years of Pell Grants for qualifying middle school students to help boost college enrollment and college completion rates.

Increasing higher education access and affordability for all Michiganders is a top priority for Senator Peters. Senator Peters introduced the bipartisan FAIR Student Credit Act to help private student loan borrowers rehabilitate defaulted loans and remove the default from their credit report after making a series of on-time payments. Earlier this year, he also helped introduce the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act, legislation to allow borrowers with outstanding student loan debt to refinance at lower interest rates available to new borrowers.