Enrolling in Gogebic Community College after Michigan implements the free community college program

If you are a Michigan student who graduated in 2023, you are now eligible for free community college in your county.

It’s fall and students are busy studying at Gogebic Community College in Ironwood, Michigan.

Enrollment is up this year thanks to the Michigan Community College Guarantee program passed by the state legislature this summer.

The new program includes in-district tuition, contact hours and fees.

If you are eligible for a Pell Grant, an additional $1,000 Michigan Achievement Bonus is available to cover additional tuition costs.

Starting this fall, students from the Class of 2023 may be eligible for the Community College Guarantee.

Here is the Director of Admissions, Marketing and Community Relations at Gogebic Community College, Kim Zeckovich.

“Of course, it is very exciting for students in Gogebic County because Gogebic County is considered intra-county, which represents a great opportunity for students who come from small rural communities such as the towns in Gogebic County. This is a huge bonus for these students,” Zeckovich said.

To be eligible, students must complete the FAFSA, be a Michigan resident, and be a U.S. citizen.

Zeckovich said students were excited when they became aware of this opportunity.

“I think this really gave students the opportunity to start at a community college and complete the general education requirements, while still allowing them to transfer to a four-year university and achieve their goals,” she said.

Approximately half of Gogebic Community College students transfer to a four-year university for further education.

They offer over 40 associate degree and certificate programs with a student to faculty ratio of 13 to 1.

Some people who wouldn’t normally have thought about college have now given it a second thought.

“We just had a student join our CDL program this week. Didn’t think it would be like this, the costs would be covered. And for him it was a given: Why shouldn’t I do that? I said, ‘Absolutely.’ And so we accepted him and enrolled him, and he’s really excited about the coming semester,” she says.

The scholarship can be extended for up to three years at a community college or tribal school as long as students continue to meet admission requirements.