OCC receives grant funding for health services coordinator – The Oakland Press

Nearly $1.8 million has been awarded to six Michigan colleges through the state’s Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential’s (MiLEAP) Reconnect Enroll with Momentum Grants to increase college enrollment among current and potential Michigan Reconnect applicants.

The grants support strategies that address barriers preventing adults from starting, renewing or persisting in their postsecondary education.

“For many Michigan adults, the path to college is not always clear or easy to navigate,” said Beverly Walker-Griffea, executive director of MiLEAP. “These grants give colleges the opportunity to identify and remove barriers that can keep adults from taking that next step, while creating stronger connections between education, careers and the needs of Michigan communities.”

Each college will receive up to $300,000 over the two-year grant period, from August 2026 through July 2028, to implement strategies tailored to the needs of adult learners in their communities.

Oakland Community College is among the six colleges using their grants to address different barriers facing adult learners.

OCC will receive $264,384 to connect adult learners to career pathways earlier in the enrollment process through a new Health Sciences Career Connectedness Coordinator. The project will strengthen career advising, employer connections, clinical placements and other work-based learning opportunities.

Projects focus on making enrollment easier to navigate, expanding flexible options, improving Credit for Prior Learning, increasing access to childcare and connecting education to high-demand careers. Together, the projects are designed to help more adults enroll, stay on track and earn postsecondary credentials.

“Michigan’s colleges understand the unique barriers facing adult learners in their communities,” said Sarah Szurpicki, deputy director of the MiLEAP Office of Higher Education. “These grants give institutions the flexibility to develop practical solutions that meet adults where they are and help them take the next step toward a credential and a career.”

The other schools to receive awards were: Jackson College, Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College, Monroe Community College, Montcalm Community College and Muskegon Community College.