Lake Michigan College receives $650,000 MiLeap College Success Grant

Lake Michigan College has received a $650,000 College Success Grant from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential. The grant will give the college the ability to establish a brand new Student Success Center which will serve as a central hub for all of the college’s various resources to help students succeed in their college education. The planning phase for the new Student Success Center will begin in the spring of 2026.

According to an article on Lake Michigan College’s website, Leslie Navarro, who serves as the Associate Dean of Student Success & Well-Being and is the program lead for the Student Success Center initiative, was quoted as saying of the new center, “The Student Success Center will allow us to walk alongside students from the moment they consider enrolling until the day they complete their goals. By bringing advising, success coaching, wellness, and basic needs support together in one place, we can respond more quickly, build stronger relationships, and remove barriers that too often derail students’ progress.”

The college has prepared for this new initiative through conducting student surveys and creating focus groups with the goal of gathering data about barriers to student success. Using this information, the college has determined that the Student Support Center will house integrated support services, such as academic advising, success coaches, and student support specialists, who will all provide students with personalized guidance throughout their education. Additionally, the center will focus on a holistic approach that goes beyond solely academic and career resources. It will help connect students with resources for basic needs assistance and health and wellness assistance. The center will also utilize an early alert system to notify employees of students who may be in need of help instead of waiting on students to seek out support themselves. 

Dr. Trevor Kubatzke, the college’s president, said, "This grant allows us to fundamentally reimagine how we connect students to the resources they need to succeed. Too many students struggle not because they lack ability, but because they lack access to or awareness of available help, lack a clear academic or career plan, and feel disconnected from institutional resources."

For more information about Lake Michigan College, visit the school’s website.