Michigan Reconnect

Pursue your education with free or reduced tuition.

The Michigan Reconnect Program is for Michiganders 21 or older, who don’t have a college degree, to pursue an associate degree or skill certificate. Reconnect covers up to the 'in-district' tuition, mandatory fees, and contact hours at any of Michigan's public community colleges.

Take the next step toward your future today:

Apply for Michigan Reconnect.
File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Get enrolled at LCC
- New to LCC: Apply and complete the admissions process. For assistance, contact the Admissions Team at 517-483-1999.
- Current and returning students: Meet with an academic advisor to create your plan of classes. Register for classes.
If you have trouble accessing your account, contact the help desk at 517-483-5221 or email lcc1@lcc.edu.
Visit the StarZone for assistance with your student account, registration, financial aid, payment plans and more.
Check your LCC email account often for important communication from financial aid and other college departments.

What costs are covered?

Michigan Reconnect covers tuition at the in-district rate for courses in an eligible degree or certificate program.

For State of Michigan aid programs, certificate programs must be at least 24 semester credits and include a minimum of 30 weeks of instruction.

The student is responsible for paying for books, and any remaining tuition balance.

Tuition balance remains for students with in-state residency (they will pay the difference between in-district and in-state tuition) and any classes outside of their eligible program of study.

Learn about LCC residency.

Check your residency under the profile tab of your myLCC account.

In-District Residents

Tuition will be covered if the student is eligible for Michigan Reconnect. The student is responsible for books and tuition for any classes that don’t count toward their program of study.

In-State Residents

In-district tuition rate will be covered so the student will be responsible for paying the difference in tuition, and any books and tuition for any classes that don’t count toward their program of study.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible, you must:

Have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Have not yet completed a college degree (associate or bachelor's).
Must be a Michigan Resident for a year or more.
Must be 21 or older when the application is submitted
For Reconnect purposes, the student is considered meeting this criterion if they can verify that they have been a Michigan resident for at least one year by the start of the semester.
For Reconnect Expansion:
- An independent student for Reconnect Expansion must have maintained continuous Michigan residency since July 1 of the previous calendar year, to be considered a Michigan resident and eligible for Reconnect.
- If the student is dependent for Reconnect Expansion, their residency follows their parents' residency. Therefore, the parent must have maintained continuous Michigan residency since July 1 of the previous calendar year for the student to be considered a Michigan resident and eligible for Reconnect Expansion.
- If a student's parent does not sign the FAFSA, but the college collects documentation from the parent that the parent refuses to complete the FAFSA and does not provide any financial support to the student, the student can be eligible for Reconnect. The college must collect documentation showing the student had been a resident one year prior to beginning of the semester in which they are receiving Reconnect.

Initial requirements:

Complete the Michigan Reconnect application.
File the FAFSA.
Apply to LCC and complete admissions steps.
Enroll in at least one credit toward a financial aid eligible degree or certificate program.
- An aid-eligible program is any program that grants an associate degree and any certificate program of at least 16 credits in length.
Applicant may be in default on a federal loan or owe a Title IV overpayment and still be considered for Reconnect.

Renewal requirements:

File the FAFSA annually for each academic year. (Academic years begin with fall semester and end with summer semester. You must renew your FAFSA each academic year you intend to enroll.)
Maintain Michigan residency.
Reconnect students are required to earn 12 credits per academic year in courses counting toward their program of study.
Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 or be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in the courses taken toward the program of study while MI Reconnect participants. Grades earned prior to the student’s participation in MI Reconnect and courses taken that are not part of the program of study are not considered.
All Reconnect or Reconnect Expansion participants who began participation in Fall 2025 or prior will be reviewed at the conclusion of Summer 2026. All Reconnect or Reconnect Expansion students who started in the program Spring 2026 & Summer 2026 will be reviewed at the conclusion of Summer 2027.
- Students who begin participation in Spring & Summer will have their Reconnect GPA calculated their 1^st semester thru the following summer.
- The annual review of 12 credits earned will only include the credits earned during the fall-summer semesters of participation.
Note: A student's 12-month period begins each academic year. Students will be reviewed at the conclusion of each academic year. Students are a participant if they received a MI Reconnect award or if they met all eligibility requirements but did not receive a MI Reconnect award due to other resources covering their in-district tuition and mandatory fees.