LANSING – On Tuesday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed her seventh record education budget into law. The balanced, bipartisan fiscal year 2026 (FY26) school aid budget delivers record per-pupil funding of $10,050, continues free school meals for all to lower costs for families, boosts literacy supports, funds free pre-K and community college for all, builds up campuses, and delivers recruitment and retention bonuses to educators. The FY26 Education Omnibus budget totals $24.1 billion, with $19.5 billion from the School Aid Fund.

“This education budget will help our kids learn, grow, and thrive from pre-K through college or trade school and beyond,” Whitmer said in a press release. “With record per-pupil funding of more than $10,000 for every child in every school, free breakfast and lunch for all to save parents almost $1,000 a year, per kid, free pre-K and free community college for all, and even more literacy support, we’re making sure every student has the tools and opportunities they need to succeed right here in Michigan without breaking the bank.”

Whitmer added that the budget also includes incentives for educators.

“We are supporting our hardworking educators with attraction and retention bonuses and free training programs to prepare even more skilled, qualified teachers for the classroom,” she said in the release. “Finally, we’re investing in our school, community college, and university campuses so they are even safer and better places for all our students.”

“I’m proud that we held the line and worked across the aisle to successfully deliver another historic education budget that puts the real needs of students front and center,” Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) said in the release. “By securing the highest ever per-pupil funding, continuing the widely successful universal school meals program, and boosting literacy programs and at-risk funding, this bipartisan budget illustrates our unwavering commitment to Michigan students, educators, and schools.”

Speaker of the House Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) added, “Michigan’s new education budget puts parents and kids first, and it’s about time we had a state budget that did that… This plan gives new flexibility to local districts, empowers parents to guide their children’s future, funds free breakfast and lunch, and increases funding for smaller classroom sizes. Together, we gave schools a major boost as the new year gets underway.”

From preschool to postsecondary, the budget prioritizes students and educators with another historic per-pupil increase and dedicated funding for school meals.

The budget includes the following line items related to both K-12 and higher education programs.

K-12 Education

~ $657 million to expand free pre-K to every 4-year-old in Michigan, regardless of family income.

~ $593.5 million to support school operations through a 4.6% increase in base per-pupil funding, equating to an additional $442 per student, for a total of $10,050 per pupil.

~ $321 million in total funding to support student mental health and school safety needs.

~ $274 million to provide a 25% increase in funding to support academically at-risk students, English language learners, career and technical education students, and students in rural school districts.

~ $248.1 million to continue providing free breakfast and lunch to Michigan’s 1.4 million public school students, helping students focus on learning and saving families nearly $1,000 per year.

~ $203 million for an educator stipend program to recruit and retain teachers, putting money back in the pockets of educators.

~ Up to $200 million in school infrastructure funding, to fix buildings and keep dollars in the classroom.

~ $190.9 million to continue expanded support for special education services, a 9.4% increase in the state allocation from adjusted current law levels.

~ $142 million for career and technical education operations, including $70 million to support the expansion and creation of programs in underserved areas.

~ $125 million to continue support to districts for school transportation.

~ $122 million for initiatives to directly support student literacy.

~ $75 million to support students and parents through before and after school programming.

~ $25 million to continue the Strong Beginnings preschool program for 3-year-olds.

~ $10 million to fund Great Start Readiness Program startup grants.

~ $6.1 million for partnership district support, providing oversight and assistance to schools and districts.

Higher Education and Workforce Development

~ $1.8 billion in total for university operations, providing base support for Michigan’s 15 public universities to keep tuition affordable, maintain high-quality academic programs, and help students graduate and find good-paying, in-demand jobs.

~ $380 million for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which provides a tuition free pathway for full-time community college students through the community college guarantee, and up to $27,500 for full-time students at public or private 4-year universities.

~ More than 62,000 scholarships were awarded in the 2024-25 school year, and 120,000 students are expected to benefit once the program is fully implemented.

~ A total of $375 million for community college operations, supporting Michigan’s 28 community colleges to deliver affordable associate degrees, transfer pathways, and skilled trades training across the state, helping more young people land good-paying jobs.

~ $122.3 million for the Tuition Incentive Program (TIP), helping low-income students cover tuition costs at community colleges, public universities, and private colleges.

~ $42 million for the Michigan Reconnect program, giving adult learners aged 25 and older a tuition-free pathway to earn an associate degree or skilled trades certificate.