The Detroit News
Jan. 30, 2025
Kim Kozlowski
When Jaliyah Eaton decided to enroll at Oakland University, she wasn’t sure how much her degree would cost but knew she would struggle to pay for it.
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But there is still a troubling narrative in the community about the value and cost of college, said Greg Handel, vice president of education and talent for the Detroit Regional Chamber.
Recent focus groups and surveys of parents and students conducted by the chamber have shown that some feel college is not necessary to get a good job, is unaffordable and will lead to a large debt after graduation, Handel said.
“That has become a prevailing wisdom and it is just completely wrong,” Handel said. “Higher ed can be very expensive, but what is lost on people is there are affordable options. If you look at the state aid that has become available, it’s made college much more affordable.”
In addition, the demand in the labor market demonstrates the need for a college degree: 35% of Michigan working adults have a four-year degree or higher but hold 66% of the jobs that pay more than $65,000 annually, according to data from the Detroit chamber’s 2024 State of Education and Talent report.
Michigan’s annual Hot 50 Job Outlook is increasingly becoming professions that require a post-secondary degree. In the past, Handel said, 37 of those jobs required a college degree, but has since increased to 42 of the jobs.
“There is just a misperception in the public that you can get a really good job without a college degree,” Handel said. “It is possible, but if you look at the odds, they are really stacked against you without a degree.”
Perhaps most important, Handel said, is that the Michigan Achievement Scholarship has led to more students at some schools not having to pay any tuition at all.
At Wayne State, 42% of incoming freshmen received enough financial aid to cover their tuition and fees in 2022-23, the year before the achievement scholarship launched. By 2023-24 and 2024-25, about 60% of WSU’s incoming class were enrolled in classes with free tuition.