Southwestern Michigan College has boosted scholarships dramatically for next year to make higher education more affordable. SMC offered $880,000 in the 2021 budget, hiking that 62% to $1.4 million for 2022. SMC President Joe Odenwald tells WSJM News by eliminating some college costs made worse by the pandemic, SMC can improve degree attainment and, ultimately, economic prosperity in the area.
“Our overall increase in scholarships for this year over last year, it’s 62%, and in real dollars, it’s $553,610,” Odenwald said. “So it’s a pretty big deal. We’re pulling more money out of the foundation ,and frankly, we’re just budgeting more.”
With the SMC Guarantee, all new students enrolling in Fall 2021 classes receive a scholarship of at least $600. In-district students qualify for at least $1,000. Odenwald notes with programs like Reconnect Michigan and Futures for Frontliners, it’s becoming increasingly easier to go to college. SMC is also increasing its athletics programs to attract more students, something we’ll be hearing about in the coming months.
