Eastern Michigan, Henry Ford College launch tuition-free bachelor’s degree for essential workers

Henry Ford College and Eastern Michigan University have partnered on a program offering free tuition to “essential workers” in Michigan pursuing four-year degrees.

The program, announced Wednesday, seeks to tap into the popularity of the state-funded Futures for Frontliners program, offering those who complete it an opportunity to pursue a tuition-free bachelor’s degree.

Eastern will provide free tuition to federal Pell Grant-eligible essential workers who complete their associate degree at Henry Ford, EMU President James Smith said. Those not eligible for Pell grants will receive a $5,000 scholarship. Unlike the Futures for Frontliners program, the EMU scholarship will be paid for by the university.

“Our determination was to find general fund money,” Smith said. “We don’t have state or federal dollars to do this.”