Continued tuition-free community college opportunities for eligible students through Lake Michigan College and Southwestern Michigan College. Governor Gretchen Whitmer this week signed the Fiscal Year 2027 School Aid budget, noting it is the final education budget of her administration. The bipartisan spending plan places a major emphasis on literacy while increasing the state’s per-pupil foundation allowance and directing additional funding toward students with greater educational needs. $40 million to expand dual enrollment opportunities allowing high school students to earn college credit. Those programs are particularly relevant in Southwest Michigan, where Lake Michigan College and Southwestern Michigan College have become major participants in both the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and Michigan Reconnect initiatives, helping recent graduates and adult learners earn workforce credentials close to home.