This scholarship from the State of Michigan allows recent high school graduates to attend community college tuition-free. Oakland County students who enroll full-time (12 or more credits per semester) can receive 100% coverage of in-district tuition and required fees. All recent high school graduates qualify, regardless of family income, and students can use this to earn an associate degree or certificate, or transfer to a four-year college or university.   

 Adult Learners  

OCC is also a great place for adult learners who are starting college for the first time or returning after time away for work or family responsibilities. Through the Michigan Reconnect program, eligible Oakland County adults age 25 and older, can also qualify for free tuition to earn an associate degree or certificate.  

For students who don’t qualify for free tuition, OCC remains one of the most affordable options in Michigan, helping to reduce the amount of debt students incur while providing high-quality academic and career training.   

With more than 90 transfer agreements and partnerships with four-year institutions across Michigan, OCC makes it easier for students to continue their education and complete a bachelor’s degree.  

Wrap around services and support  

For those who need support getting started, Oakland80 “Navigators” are available on our campuses to help students identify career pathways to meaningful careers, navigate enrollment and stay on track to completion by removing barriers and providing access to resources. OCC’s free tutoring, counseling and career services; helpful faculty and staff; and resources including MDHHS coordinators on campus, ensure students are supported in their goals.   

Earning a degree or certificate remains the best way to increase career choices and earning potential. On average, high school graduates earn about $26,000 annually, while individuals with a degree or skills certificate earn approximately $62,000—significantly expanding career options, improving quality of life, and building vibrant communities.   

For more information visit us at oaklandcc.edu.

Karen Malsbury, Rochester Community Schools director of career readiness and career and technical education (CTE), has made it her personal mission to showcase apprenticeship as a viable career option in every single CTE classroom at Rochester Community Schools.  

“We try to showcase it's not just the trades that have Registered Apprenticeships,” said Malsbury. “There are companies that have apprenticeships in marketing, business, finance and especially healthcare.”  

With the common goal of wanting to prepare students for life after graduation, Oakland80 and Rochester Community Schools have partnered to increase student awareness and access to employment options. On May 1, the Oakland80 team invited students from multiple high schools to attend a Decision Day event at Oakland Community College (OCC).  

“It was tricky for me to get my head around how we would participate, because our students are so celebrated across Rochester Community Schools. They're very loud and proud about what their next steps are,” said Malsbury. “But what we were able to do with this collaboration is we really homed in on kids that were taking that first leap of going to college and trying to put them more on a platform.”  

Roughly 4,900 students are enrolled at the three RCS high schools. While countless students have determined where they will be attending in the fall, Oakland80 and Karen Malsbury wanted to celebrate the students who are still determining what the future holds. Malsbury’s hope for this event was that students would gain confidence that they can transition to OCC and be equally as successful there as they were at one of the RCS high schools.  

During the Decision Day celebration, participating students met with OCC counselors and spoke directly with guidance staff to address any concerns students might have about attending in the fall. To help ease the transition to post-secondary education, students were able to access the OCC student portal, ensuring all necessary steps were taken for a successful school year. 

“Events like this allow us to celebrate students who have made the decision to continue their education,” said Oakland80 Administrator Rana Al-Igoe. “While these students’ decision to pursue post-secondary education propels our initiative and helps towards the county’s educational attainment goal, this is also a step towards a successful future career for residents who will hopefully remain living and working in Oakland County post completion.”  

To help lead these students down a pathway that suits their skills and interests, an Oakland80 navigator has been on-site with RCS to provide one-on-one counseling with future job seekers.  

“It's nice to have someone who can sit down and work on career exploration, workforce opportunities, even financial aid, college applications, looking at different pathways,” said Malsbury. “I think the biggest thing is our navigators know how to remove barriers for our students.”