The Michigan Reconnect scholarship program has become a family affair for the Reeds.
Ryan Reed enrolled at WCC with the help of the Reconnect scholarship after noticing many positions posted on Indeed required college degrees. “I thought I might be underqualified, and I might want to go to school. It’s more for job security,” he says.
His decision has already paid off. His employer of more than a decade, D.E. McNabb Company in Milford, learned that he was taking accounting classes and asked if he would be interested in the controller position.
Reed earned his associate in Business Administration Transfer and is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Michigan University.
The Reconnect scholarship was launched during the pandemic as an effort to help adults 25 and older suddenly laid off from work finish their college education. Last year, the minimum age to qualify was lowered to 21 on a temporary basis. Reconnect is a “last dollar” scholarship and is applied after other scholarships and types of aid are used.
Reed’s wife, Jessica, and father, Steven, have also attended WCC thanks to Reconnect.
Jessica Reed, a trade show administrator at McNabb, which provides flooring for automotive businesses and major shows across the country, will graduate in December with an associate degree in Business Administration Transfer. “Reconnect has helped our family immensely, allowing both my husband and I to attend college simultaneously without any financial burden.”
The elder Reed, 69, completed his associate degree in Transportation Technologies along with two Motorcycle Technology certificates in 2023. A retired lifelong learner, Steven Reed says, "Michigan Reconnect helped me finish what I had started 50 years earlier.”
Q&A
Nicole Reed, WCC's lead Reconnect Navigator, answers questions.
Q: WHAT IS RECONNECT?
A: Michigan Reconnect is a scholarship program that pays for you to attend your in-district community college and offers a large tuition discount if you attend an out-of-district community college.
Q: WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
A: To be eligible for the Michigan Reconnect scholarship, you must:
- Be at least 21 when you apply.
- For a limited time, eligibility has expanded for those 21 and older. This expansion will only be available to 21-to-24-year-olds until the deadline: November 15, 2024.
- Be a Michigan resident for at least one year.
- Have a high school diploma or equivalent and not yet earned an associate or bachelor’s degree.
Q: HOW DO I APPLY?
A: Complete an application at www.michigan.gov/Reconnect.
This can be done on a mobile phone. You are notified instantly of eligibility. You can also call the Customer Care Center at 888-447-2687.
Complete a FAFSA at studentaid.gov/fafsa.
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This story appears in the Fall 2024 edition of Launch magazine. See complete issue.
Tags: Business Administration, Launch Fall 2024, Michigan Reconnect, Scholarship, Student Success