Michigan College Access Network

Today is Jamie Storey's third MCANniversary! 🥳

As the senior director for student success, Jamie serves as one of MCAN’s primary systems-change strategists, responsible for driving bold, equity-centered efforts that seek to shift the underlying conditions that create barriers to persistence and completion.

Thank you for all of your hard work! 🎉 🎈

“A college education is one of the most important things a person can do to invest in themselves, and even more so for incarcerated students who may face additional barriers to success. The students in our programs are showing us that they are not only dedicated to improving themselves but also improving the lives of their families and the communities of which they are a part.” – Richard Ray, Michigan Consortium for Higher Education in Prison Steering Committee chair https://buff.ly/9fYeStQ

Yesterday, MCAN executive director Ryan Fewins-Bliss and deputy director Jamie Jacobs attended the Pathways Action and Learning Summit in Washington D.C.. MCAN is a proud member of the Pathways Impact Collaborative, a national learning community of regional intermediaries and their cross-sector partners, working to advance purposeful pathways.
StriveTogether

The road to college and career success begins with students who are healthy and ready to learn. Research consistently shows that when students have reliable access to nutritious meals, attendance improves, behavior issues decrease, and academic performance rises.

Today, we stand with Senator Dayna Polehanki as the Michigan Senate considers SB-784 and SB-785, legislation that would make Michigan's free school meals program permanent in state law.

At MCAN, we know that school meals are more than food. They are critical for student success. We proudly support these bills and the effort to ensure that every Michigan student has access to free breakfast and lunch at school.

The Office of Federal Student Aid will now provide instant eligibility information for students who properly filled out the FAFSA and immediately notify those who didn’t of the errors they made following Monday's Real-Time FAFSA Results update.

FAFSA Submitters Can Now See Their Results Immediately Students who fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid will now be able to get feedback on their eligibility for grants and loans immediately, thanks to a user experience update the platform launched Monday. The Office of Federal Student Aid will not only provide instant eligibility info...

Today is Jamie Jacobs' 15th MCANniversary!

As Deputy Director, Jamie provides strategic support for MCAN, interfacing with all departments and programs, and is a key partner to the executive director in the leadership and management of the organization. Jamie has served in many capacities for the organization including intern, program director, director of professional development, senior director of high school innovation, and now as deputy director since November 2019.

Thank you for 15 years of hard work and leadership!

Level Up Michigan!, a nonprofit created to boost postsecondary education and skill attainment, is working to raise awareness of the state scholarships from 30% to 80% or better by fall 2027.

“We have more financial aid than we have ever had in the past, and yet students don’t know it exists," said MCAN executive director Ryan Fewins-Bliss during the campaign's launch at the Mackinac Policy Conference. https://www.crainsdetroit.com/education/cdb-free-community-college-campaign-20260528/ #

Campaign aims to engage employers in promoting Michigan’s free community college, skills training Lack of knowledge about the program is stunting post-secondary enrollment.

It's FAFSA Friday! This week, we're highlighting the schools that have seen the highest increases in FAFSA completion vs May 2025. Statewide, Michigan is up 1690 completed FAFSAs compared to this time last year.

Track your school's progress! Visit fafsa.micollegeaccess.org ✨📈