Eastern Michigan University and Henry Ford College enter new partnership to assist frontline workers

A newly-formed partnership between Eastern Michigan University and Henry Ford College will help frontline workers obtain four-year degrees. The partnership was spurred by the Futures for Frontliners program was enacted by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to help those essential workers who have continued to hold jobs that require them to be in contact with the public through the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible students that complete a two-year degree through HFC can qualify for different levels of scholarships to continue their education at EMU in a four-year degree program.

When Governor Whitmer announced the program, Futures for Frontliners, HFC President Russ Kavalhuna started reaching out to four-year institutions in the region. He saw an opportunity to offer more educational opportunities for essential workers by partnering with a four-year college. EMU President James Smith was on board, so the two institutions began to work out the details of the partnership. They wanted to create additional incentive for qualified people to sign up for the Futures for Frontliners program by providing a pathway from an associate's degree program to a bachelor's degree program. This new partnership builds on an existing relationship between EMU and HFC while providing a new benefit to the essential workers of the region. As HFC President Russ Kavalhuna said in an article published by MLive, "…This is an opportunity for us as a society to reinvest in people who have been serving us on the front lines."

The details of the new partnership have been announced, spelling out who is eligible and what the scholarship awards will be. Those who apply for and are accepted into the Futures for Frontliners program are automatically qualified. That program requires that applicants are workers in industries that have required them to continue working outside the home during the pandemic at places like grocery stores, restaurants, manufacturing, public transportation, emergency services, among others. Students graduating from HFC who meet those requirements can transfer to EMU and receive scholarships. Those who qualify for Pell Grants are eligible for a scholarship to cover the remaining tuition balance. Those who don't qualify for Pell Grants will be awarded a $5000 scholarship which will be applied evenly to four semesters of full-time coursework at EMU.

Both EMU and HFC have seen declining enrollment in the last few years, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. And while both institutions undoubtedly hope that programs like this will increase enrollment, EMU President James Smith states that the goal of the partnership is really about helping the frontline workers, and that he hopes other two and four-year institutions will form similar arrangements. "If you think about a frontline worker, they're literally putting their life on the line so that you and I can go to the pharmacy or the grocery store. Without them, we couldn't do that, and this is our payback to them, our 'thank you,' if you will… We really do think that the more is the merrier, and we're anxious to see where this will take us with our colleagues."

Those interested in the state of Michigan's Futures for Frontliners program should apply by December 31, 2020.