Rocky on campus

LMC Guarantee

Your Bachelor's Degree Just Got $30,000 Cheaper

How do you subtract $30,000 from your college debt before you even start?

Answer: Start at Lake Michigan College with the Michigan Community College Guarantee.

The numbers tell the story. While your classmates heading straight to university will pay $14,800 per year (Michigan public) or $24,000 (private), you'll pay exactly $0 for your first two years at LMC if you qualify for the Guarantee.

That's not a typo. Zero dollars for the same general education credits that transfer seamlessly to major Midwest universities.

Think of it like buying a car. Would you pay sticker price at the luxury dealership, or get the exact same model through the employee discount program? Your English or Economics or Biology credits don't care where you earned them, but your bank account definitely will.

LMC maintains robust transfer agreements with universities across the region. Our students regularly transfer to Michigan State, Western Michigan, GVSU, and dozens of other four-year institutions. They arrive as juniors, debt-free, while their peers are already $30,000 to 60,000 in the hole.

One student recently told us, "I'm getting the same University of Michigan degree as my roommate, but I'll graduate with $28,000 less debt because I started at LMC."

That's a car. That's a house down payment. That's freedom to choose your first job based on passion, not loan payments.

The math works. Apply (also free) at LakeMichiganCollege.edu/apply.

 

Your tuition and books could already be paid for! 

Here's how to earn this amazing opportunity:

  1. Apply online for free here.

  2. Fill out your FAFSA (our school code is 002277).

  3. Send us your high school transcripts

That's it. Once you've done these steps, you’ve started your college journey at LMC.

 

The LMC Guarantee

LMC is combining the Michigan Community College Guarantee with the LMC Foundation Book Grant to create an amazing opportunity. The CCG pays for all of your tuition and mandatory fees. To qualify for free tuition students must:
 

  • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2026

  • Be a Michigan resident since July 1 of 2025

    • If you’re a dependent student, your parent(s) must also be a Michigan resident

  • Graduate from a Michigan high school (or Michigan home school)

    • You’re eligible if you earn a diploma or certificate of completion

  • Enroll in Lake Michigan College as a full-time student

 

The LMC Foundation Grant pays for your textbooks (print or ebook versions). To qualify for free textbooks:

And it can get better! If you qualify for the CCG and your FAFSA qualifies you for Pell Grant support, you will receive an additional $1,000 financial aid award for student living expenses. No special application, but you MUST complete the FAFSA.

For more information on the Michigan CCG, visit https://www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid/programs/michigan-achievement-scholarship/community-college-guarantee.