About the Michigan2020 Plan

Study after study after study has emphasized the importance of a highly educated workforce in the economic vitality of any state in the 21st Century. Economists from across the nation and right here in Michigan have been telling us that the single best investment a state can make in its job market comes from higher education.

The Michigan 2020 Plan would provide Michigan high school graduates – public, private or home-schooled - with the opportunity to have the cost of their college education paid for in its entirety. It is a plan that says Michigan believes in its future - and values our young people - by creating the most educated and highly skilled workforce anywhere in the nation. Put simply, it is a plan that will get Michigan's economy, and our people, back on track.

High school graduates in Michigan, whether they attended a public, private or home school, would be eligible for an annual grant for their higher education costs. The maximum amount of the grant would be equal to the median tuition level (currently $10,617/year) of all of Michigan's public universities. Students could choose to attend any of Michigan's community colleges or public universities and use that money toward the cost of tuition, books and other eligible expenses. If the cost of tuition exceeds the amount of their grant, the student would be required to pay the difference.

Best of all, this plan is fully paid for without raising your taxes one cent. Instead, it is funded by reducing the outdated and ineffective business tax loopholes and credits that are put into law by special interest lobbyists. Michigan gives up over $35 billion annually on tax expenditures riddled with loopholes and shelters to hide or accommodate wealth. By cutting just 10% of them, the ones that don't do a single thing to create any jobs or serve a public purpose, Michigan would have more than enough money available to fund this education program for generations to come.

It's simple. It's effective. It will work!