Costs Reconnect Covers

Reconnect will ensure that when you get your semester bill from the community college, the following items will be free to you:

• In-district tuition - Free
• Mandatory fees (fees charged to students as a condition of enrollment and/or completion) - Free
  • GOOD NEWS! Starting in the 2023-2024 Academic Year, this could include costs like online fees or lab fees.
• Contact hours (extra charges for certain courses and programs) - Free

Reconnect is a last-dollar program. That means that any Pell Grant funds and other state tuition-restricted scholarships or awards you receive are applied to your tuition and fees bill first, with Reconnect paying what's not covered. If you don't qualify for a Pell Grant or other state aid, Reconnect will pay the full cost of in-district tuition, mandatory fees, and contact hours.

 The following are not to be subtracted from the calculation of the award:

• The Michigan Education Trust (MET)
• Promise Zones
• Non-tuition restricted scholarships or awards, such as:
  • Student loans
  • Work study
  • Qualified withdrawals from an education savings account
  • Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
  • Foundation, institutional, and/or private scholarships

Costs Reconnect Does Not Cover

Even as a Reconnect student, you may be responsible for other tuition or non-tuition costs, such as:

• Out of district tuition costs.
  • If you are considered 'out-of-district' by the community college you plan to attend, your tuition bill will have an out-of-district tuition charge on it.
  • Reconnect only pays up to the in-district tuition for any of Michigan's public community colleges. If you attend an institution where you’re considered ‘out-of-district’ there may be a balance leftover if you don’t qualify for enough Pell Grant or other scholarships or awards to cover the rest of the bill.
  • Attending a community college you're considered 'in-district' for is the best way to ensure free tuition.

When applying to a community college, ask them to estimate these costs that are not covered by Reconnect to avoid any surprises when you receive your bill.

If you're not sure for which community college you're considered 'in-district', visit our List of Colleges to contact the community college nearest you. You can find the email and phone number contact to each college on the same page.