Return to Learn
at Northwestern Michigan College

"Return to Learn" is a collaborative initiative between the state of Michigan and Northwestern Michigan College to encourage adult learners to return to college to complete a degree. As Governor Granholm said in announcing the "Return to Learn" initiative, "A college degree can be the ticket to a bigger paycheck for our citizens and a stronger economy for our state. To attract the kinds of businesses we need to grow Michigan's economy, Michigan needs to lead the nation in the number of college graduates we have in our state."

The Governor says she hopes the “Return to Learn” focus will help many adults in the workforce realize both the possibility and importance of resuming their studies. “A college graduate in Michigan will earn a million dollars more in a lifetime than someone who has only finished high school” said the Governor. “If only a few courses or a couple of semesters stand between you and a degree, it makes perfect sense to return to learning.”

Certainly there are costs associated with returning to college, but many working adults may not appreciate the array of financial aid, as well as company, union, and other education and training resources that may be available to them to earn credentials that help them advance in the labor market. As Governor Granholm has noted, “Tens of thousands of adults in Michigan can qualify for financial aid if they go back to school. And there is probably no state in the union that has a more extensive array of employer and union financed education benefits.”

For more information about the "Return to Learn" program in Michigan, and a list of all the participating colleges and universities, follow this link to Governor Granholm's website or this link directly to the "Return to Learn" web page.

Adult learners who have been out of school/education for some time may be anxious about returning to college - and have questions regarding affordability or whether they can build on their previous higher education experience. President Timothy Nelson of Northwestern Michigan College encourages anyone with prior college experience to select a link below to begin a "Return to Learn" degree completion plan.