Grants to help online programs meet state skills needs – The Morning Sun

Money appropriated by the state Legislature will help Central Michigan University’s Innovation and Online program develop programs to help more working-age Michiganders get a post-secondary education.

The $822,497 grant will help CMU Online build flexible educational programming with Lansing Community College through an agreement that allows students to take courses at both schools, a news release from the Michigan Center for Adult College Success said.

“We are excited to be part of the Innovation Investment Award to support working-age Michiganders in achieving their educational and career goals,” said Kaleb Patrick, Interim Vice President of Innovation and Online. “This grant will allow us to expand our partnership with Lansing Community College, as well as other community colleges in the future, to help students obtain the credentials needed to thrive in Michigan’s knowledge-based economy.

“We are proud to support the ‘Sixty by 30’ goal and contribute to Michigan’s vibrant future.”

Sixty by 30 is a statewide program designed to help 60 percent of Michigan adults obtain a post-secondary education by 2030. Currently, that number is 51.1 percent.

CMU previously received a $75,000 Quick Start grant to assess the state’s skills needs and help CMU Online assess student experiences in its online programs.

“By developing flexible, in-demand credentials that build on the professional experiences gained throughout a student’s career, we can build toward new skills and accomplishments,” Patrick said.

Online students have unique needs compared to more traditional students who attend classes on CMU’s main campus.

They are usually older. The average age of an online undergraduate student enrolled at CMU is about 33 years old, and the average age of an online undergraduate student is about 36 years old, Patrick said.

They are usually already in careers and looking for ways to improve professionally through further education, he said.

More than 80 percent of the more than 4,000 students accepted into a CMU online program live in Michigan. They live across the state, including 31 percent in metro Detroit, 14 percent in the Lansing area, 13 percent in the Grand Rapids area, 12 percent in the Great Lakes Bay region and 11 percent in northern Michigan. The rest live outside the state.

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Grants to help online programs meet state skills needs – The Morning Sun

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