May 6, 2026
NMC’s class of 2026 increased by 10% and the number of degrees and certificates those graduates earned rose nearly 12% over 2025, a rise most likely due to two state scholarship programs.
An NMC graduate receives her diploma during the 2026 Commencement ceremonyA total of 579 students earned 632 degrees and certificates over the 2025–26 academic year, pending final grades. More than a third of the graduates are recipients of the Community College Guarantee or Michigan Reconnect, the statewide scholarship programs. The CCG offers free tuition to recent high school graduates, while Reconnect is for adults 25 and older who don’t already have a degree or certificate.
The CCG was first offered in fall 2024. It imposes no income or GPA requirements, but does require full time enrollment (minimum of 12 credits per semester.) Research shows that the likelihood of graduation is associated with full-time enrollment, due to the momentum students establish.
“Scholarship programs like the Michigan Community College Guarantee are the spark for many students,” said Lindsey Dickinson, NMC’s director of student success and retention. “But their ability to shift their attention from financial burdens to ‘completion mode,’ where they can focus on the finish line of graduation, is the engine that keeps them moving forward.”
Reconnect started in 2021 and requires students to be enrolled in at least 12 credits for the academic year. Both programs were implemented to meet Michigan’s Sixty by 30 goal of having 60% of the working population with a post-high school degree or certificate by 2030. The region started at 34.2% in 2017 and now stands at 53%.
The high school class of 2026 is eligible for the CCG for 15 months. Class of 2025 graduates are eligible until the start of the fall 2026 semester.
Commencement ceremonies also honored NMC’s 75th anniversary. Each graduate wore special green cords with their caps and gowns, in recognition of the anniversary. Watch the recorded ceremony on NMC’s YouTube channel.