Grades 6-12 · for students and parents
Most of this is free. Nobody is going to call you about it.
A Michigan public school student can take college classes the district pays for, stay a fifth year to finish an associate degree for free, take up to two free online classes each academic term and spend half the day learning a trade at a county tech center. Schools are required to tell families some of this. Most families still hear about it too late. Here is the whole menu, grade by grade.
Grade by grade
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Grades 6-8
Explore and start the plan
- Free virtual courses start in grade 6. Up to two per academic term (semester or trimester), paid for by the district. Good for a class your school does not offer. Details
- The Educational Development Plan (EDP) starts in grade 7. It is a required career and course plan, reviewed in grade 8 and every year of high school. Use it. It is the document counselors look at when they schedule you.
- The PSAT 8/9 is free in grade 8. A good score here can qualify a student for dual enrollment as early as grade 9.
- Try Pathfinder, the state's free career tool. It shows real Michigan wages and job openings.
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Grades 9-10
Start earning credit early
- Dual enrollment is open from grade 9. Two college courses a year to start. Details
- AP classes where your school offers them.
- Ask about the ISD tech center now, even though most students start there in grade 11. Some programs fill up, and Early Middle College students are usually locked in by the start of junior year.
- The PSAT 10 is free.
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Grades 11-12
Pick a lane (or two)
- CTE at the tech center: typically half the day there, half at your home high school. Details
- Early Middle College: a student has to be signed up by the fall of junior year to get the fifth year. Details
- Dual enrollment rises to as many as six courses a year.
- At 16, a youth registered apprenticeship is possible: a paid job with training. Details
- The Michigan Merit Exam in grade 11 includes the SAT, which the state pays for, and a work-readiness test. Since spring 2026 that test is WIN Work Readiness, and a good score earns a National Work Readiness Credential employers recognize.
- Look for a MiCareerQuest event in your region. These are hands-on career expos run by Michigan Works! that schools bring students to.
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Year 13 and after
The free year and the free college
- Early Middle College students stay a fifth year and finish an associate degree, 60 college credits, a certificate or an apprenticeship, with tuition generally covered by the district.
- Graduates from 2023 on get free in-district community college through the Community College Guarantee, or up to $5,500 a year at a university. Details
Section 21f of the State School Aid Act
Free virtual courses: two per academic term
Every Michigan public school student in grades 6-12 can take up to two online courses each academic term, semester or trimester, paid for by their district. That's two per term, not two total. A district can approve more if it is in the student's best interest. The course has to be in the district's own catalog or the statewide catalog at micourses.org, run by Michigan Virtual.
- Who
- Grades 6-12. A parent or guardian must agree unless the student is 18.
- Cost to you
- Free up to the state cap of 6.67% of the per-pupil foundation allowance. For 2026-27 that is about $687 per course. If a course costs more, you only pay the difference if you agree to.
- Why use it
- A class your school doesn't offer (a language, AP Computer Science, a career course), a schedule conflict, or catching up.
- When a district can say no
- Only for listed reasons, such as: you already have the credit, you lack the prerequisite, you failed a virtual course in that subject in the past two years, or you missed the district's enrollment deadline. A denial must be in writing. You can appeal to your ISD superintendent, who has to respond within 5 days.
- Deadline
- No statewide date. Ask the term before, because districts can deny late requests.
Sources: MCL 388.1621f · Michigan Virtual, Section 21f
College classes while in high school
Dual enrollment
A high school student takes a real college course, earns high school and college credit and the district pays the tuition. Every public district, charter school and state-approved private school has to offer it. There are two flavors: academic courses, and career and technical courses, which can include noncredit training that leads to an industry certification.
- Grades
- 9 through 12.
- Qualifying
- A qualifying score on the PSAT, SAT or ACT, in the subject you want to take. Example, SAT: 480 reading and writing, 530 math. Short of that? You can still take subjects where you did qualify, and districts can choose to approve you anyway. Career courses have an alternate route through a math score plus a job skills test.
- How many
- Up to 10 courses during high school. Start in grade 9 and it is two a year at first. Start in grade 11 or 12 and it is up to six a year.
- Who pays
- The district pays up to a set amount per course. For 2026-27 that is at least $837.50 per course at a typical six-period semester school. The family pays anything above that, plus transportation and parking.
- The catch
- If a student drops or fails, the family may have to repay the district, unless there was a family or medical emergency. Retaking a failed course is not covered. Read the college's drop deadline.
- How to sign up
- Your counselor confirms eligibility, the principal signs off, you enroll at the college and the college bills the district. Schools must tell students in grade 8 and up about dual enrollment by March 1 each year.
Sources: MDE, Dual Enrollment · MCL 388.513 · MCL 388.514 · MCL 388.1903 · MDE qualifying scores
The "13th year"
Early Middle College
An Early Middle College (EMC) is a five-year high school program approved by the Michigan Department of Education. The student stays enrolled in high school for an extra year, and the district keeps receiving state funding for that year. That funding is why it costs the family little or nothing. The student graduates with a diploma plus one of these:
- An associate degree
- 60 transferable college credits
- A professional certification or the statewide EMC Technical Certificate
- Progress in a registered apprenticeship
Why this is such a good deal: a community college associate degree normally takes two years after high school. An EMC student finishes it one year after their classmates graduate, often at no tuition cost, and can still use the free Community College Guarantee afterward.
- Names vary
- "Early College," "Middle College" and "Early Middle College" can all be the same thing. What matters is whether MDE approved it.
- How many
- About 190 approved programs for 2026-27, in nearly every county. Some are whole schools, some are programs inside a high school and some are county-wide consortiums run by the ISD.
- Timing
- Students must be enrolled by the fall of their junior year. Many programs take applications in grade 10.
- Cost
- Tuition is generally paid by the district. Fees, books and transportation vary, so ask the program.
- Find one
- MI School Data EMC map or our district finder.
Full Early Middle College guide
Sources: MDE, Early Middle Colleges · MDE, EMCs in Michigan 2026-27 · MDE, EMC fifth-year FAQ
Career and technical education
CTE: learn a trade before you graduate
State-approved CTE programs teach a career with real equipment: welding, construction, automotive, health science, cosmetology, criminal justice, IT, culinary arts, agriscience, manufacturing and more. Most of the big programs run at your ISD's career tech center, where juniors and seniors spend half the day. Students often finish with an industry certification, college credit or a direct path into an apprenticeship.
CTE can count toward graduation requirements
This is the part families don't hear. Michigan's graduation rules let an approved CTE program stand in for some required credits:
- Algebra II can be met fully or partly through a CTE program that covers the same math.
- One of the two world language credits can be met by a CTE program.
- The third science credit can be a CTE or computer science program.
- The personal finance half credit (class of 2028 on) can come from an aligned CTE program.
A Personal Curriculum can change a few more requirements for a student whose plan calls for it. If a parent requests one after grade 9, the district has to develop it. English and science can't be changed.
Sources: MDE, Michigan Merit Curriculum · MDE, CTE credit exchanges · MDE, Personal Curriculum · MI School Data, CTE programs offered
AP, IB and CLEP
AP classes are taught at your high school, and the exam in May can earn college credit. The exam costs $99. For low-income students, College Board and the state cover almost all of it, so the family pays $5 per exam. Eligibility follows free and reduced-price lunch. Michigan has no statewide rule for how much credit a score earns. Each college decides, so look up the colleges you're considering.
IB (International Baccalaureate) and CLEP exams have the same $5 rate for low-income students.
AP or dual enrollment? AP credit depends on one test score and the college's policy. Dual enrollment gives you a college transcript grade from day one. Both are worth it. Dual enrollment is the more certain credit, and AP keeps you on your home campus.
Sources: College Board, Michigan state assistance · MDE, Advanced Placement
Youth apprenticeship and work-based learning
From age 16, a student can be a registered apprentice: a paid employee with a training plan registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, earning at least half the trade's journey-level wage to start. Hours count toward the full apprenticeship after graduation. Some Early Middle Colleges build this in.
In state-approved CTE programs, students who have finished at least half the program and passed safety training can do work-based learning placements with local employers. CTE students also get some exemptions from rules that normally bar minors from hazardous jobs, which is how a 17-year-old can work in a shop.
Not ready for a full apprenticeship? Ask about a pre-apprenticeship. Michigan lists state-endorsed ones through MARC.
Sources: MDE, EMC Apprenticeships · MDE, Work-based learning myth vs. fact · LEO, Apprenticeship career seekers
Compare them side by side
| Option | Grades | Where | What you leave with | Family cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free virtual courses | 6-12 | Online | High school credit | Free up to about $687 per course |
| AP | Usually 10-12 | Your high school | College credit if you score well and the college accepts it | $99 exam, $5 if low-income |
| Dual enrollment | 9-12 | A college, online or in person | College credit on a college transcript | Usually free. Repay if you fail or drop. |
| CTE | Mostly 11-12 | ISD tech center or high school | Job skills, certifications, sometimes college credit | Free |
| Early Middle College | Plan by grade 10, 5 years | High school plus a college | Associate degree, 60 credits or a certificate | Tuition generally covered |
| Youth apprenticeship | 16+ | A job site plus classes | Paid hours toward a journey card | You get paid |
For parents and guardians
What you need to know as a parent
You have rights here
- Schools must tell families about dual enrollment by March 1 each year.
- A denied virtual course request must come in writing, and you can appeal to the ISD.
- If you request a Personal Curriculum after grade 9, the district must develop one.
- Your child's EDP must be reviewed every year of high school. Ask to see it.
Where the money catches you
- Dual enrollment: dropping or failing can mean repaying the district.
- Transportation to a college or tech center may be on you. Ask.
- Early Middle College: tuition is covered, but books and fees vary by program.
- File the FAFSA senior year even if you think you won't qualify. Several state scholarships require it.
"Won't CTE keep my kid out of college?" No. A CTE student can still meet every Michigan graduation requirement, and many earn college credit in the program. A student who welds in the morning and takes AP Chemistry in the afternoon is common. The difference is they'll also have a skill that pays while they're in college.
Questions to bring to your counselor How the school money works
Common questions
How many free online classes can a Michigan student take?
Up to two per academic term, semester or trimester, in grades 6-12, paid for by the district. That's two per term, not two total. The district pays up to 6.67% of the per-pupil foundation allowance per course, about $687 in 2026-27, and a district can approve more. A parent has to agree unless the student is 18.
Source: MCL 388.1621f
What grade can a student start dual enrollment in Michigan?
Grade 9. With a qualifying PSAT, SAT or ACT score, a student can take college classes the district pays for, up to 10 courses during high school. Students who start in grade 9 take two a year at first, and students who start in grade 11 or 12 can take up to six a year. A district and college agreement can raise these limits.
Source: MCL 388.513
What is the 13th year of high school in Michigan?
It's an Early Middle College: an approved five-year high school program where students stay a fifth year and finish an associate degree, 60 college credits, a certificate or part of an apprenticeship. The district keeps receiving funding for that fifth year, so tuition is generally covered. Michigan has about 190 of them, and students must be enrolled by the fall of junior year.
Source: Michigan Department of Education
Does CTE count toward Michigan's graduation requirements?
Yes. A state-approved career and technical education program can count toward Algebra II, one of the two world language credits and the third science credit. A Personal Curriculum can adjust a few more requirements, and a district must develop one if a parent asks after grade 9.
Source: Michigan Department of Education
How much does an AP exam cost in Michigan?
The exam is $99, but low-income students pay $5. College Board and the state cover the rest for students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Michigan has no statewide rule for how much college credit a score earns, so each college decides.
Source: College Board
When does a Michigan student's Educational Development Plan start?
In grade 7. Every student must get the chance to build an Educational Development Plan in grade 7, review it in grade 8 before high school and update it every year of high school. It's the career and course plan counselors use for scheduling.
Source: Michigan Department of Education