News
MCAN shares the latest data, research, and resources from the field so that educators, leaders, and partners are empowered with knowledge that is relevant to their work.
News
Press Releases
Higher Education Innovation
MCAN partners with EAB to launch statewide direct admission program
August 12, 2026
Michigan College Access Network is proud to announce MI College Match, a new partnership with education company EAB and Michigan higher education institutions to roll out a statewide, next-generation direct admission program.
High School Innovation
Steelcase Foundation awards $160,000 grant to MCAN to boost college attainment in West Michigan
July 7, 2026
MCAN is proud to announce it has received a two-year, $160,000 grant from the Steelcase Foundation to fund the Kent County Attainment Accelerator, a place-based initiative designed to expand and strengthen college access and success efforts already underway across the region.
All Areas of Work
MCAN applauds continued commitment to education in fiscal year 2027 state budget
July 3, 2026
Earlier today, the Michigan legislature passed its fiscal year 2027 budget bills, which the governor is expected to sign. Michigan College Access Network is excited to see increased funding for K-12 and higher education, continuing vital investments in our students.
Blogs
High School Innovation
Skilled and Educated: How David Urlaub is Connecting Career Preparation with Lifelong Learning
August 11, 2026
For 20 years, David Urlaub has helped students at the Bay-Arenac ISD Career Center imagine what life after high school could look like. As a student counselor and the center’s lead SkillsUSA adviser, Urlaub works closely with 11th- and 12th-grade students as they explore careers, build technical skills, and consider the education they’ll need to reach their goals. His work is rooted in a simple belief: students shouldn’t have to choose between becoming skilled and becoming educated.
All Areas of Work
15 Years Forward: When Policy Meets Purpose | Michele Strasz
April 23, 2026
As director of the Capital Area College Access Network (CapCAN) and a leader at United Way South Central Michigan, Michele has spent her career at the intersection of community impact and public policy. As we reflect on 15 years of postsecondary progress through the lens of policy, Michele's story is exactly the one we want to tell.
All Areas of Work
Q&A with Ryan Fewins-Bliss: 15 Years of Policy & Progress
April 15, 2026
As MCAN celebrates its 15th anniversary, we sat down with Ryan to talk about policy — the wins, the work, and what it takes to move a state.
In the News
Community Mobilization
Foundation grants $3.5M to expand Detroit college access through neighborhood hubs
August 27, 2026
The Jamie and Denise Jacob Family Foundation and Detroit College Access Network are launching an initiative that will provide a free neighborhood-based source of information and assistance to Detroiters looking to attend college, from middle schoolers to adults, and support to help those already in college complete their degrees. The foundation has made a three-year, $3.5 million grant to DCAN to fund leased sites on the city’s east and west sides to provide “agnostic college advising,” independent of affiliation with any specific institution, and other support.
Community Mobilization
New partnership brings college and career resources to Detroit neighborhoods
August 10, 2026
Michigan Advance
Graduate 313, a partnership between the Jamie and Denise Jacob Family Foundation and Detroit College Access Network, aims to expand educational opportunities for Detroiters in what organizers describe as a first-of-its-kind, neighborhood-based college and career success initiative backed by a $3.5 million investment.
Higher Education Innovation
Michigan Reconnect expands free community college eligibility to age 21
August 9, 2026
Michigan Public
Michigan’s largest free tuition program for adults to attend community college has lowered its eligibility to 21. Traditionally, adults 25 and older have been eligible for Michigan Reconnect. In the state’s 2027 education budget, lawmakers have included an additional $25 million to expand the program for 21- to 24-year old Michigan residents.