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Dear Michigander,
It’s hard to believe it’s already November. But even though holiday coffee drinks are back on menus and Christmas music will soon play on the radio – we still have a lot of work to do before the end of this year.
We’re helping remove barriers to higher education by opening up the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, putting more students on track to receive a college degree. Since I took office through the end of this year, we will fix over 16,000 lane miles of road and more than 1,200 bridges, ensuring our roads are safe for the holidays and years to come. And we’re working to bring more jobs to Michigan and make health care more affordable for Michiganders and their families.
These are the kitchen-table issues I am focused on to make Michigan an even better place to live. I will continue to put Michiganders first and work towards a bright future.
Sincerely,
 Gretchen Whitmer
Governor of Michigan
Just yesterday, I launched a new webpage to help the graduating class of 2023 apply for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and lower their cost of college by thousands of dollars per year. The best part is that all you need to do to apply is fill out your free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Starting with the class of 2023, graduates are eligible for annual scholarships up to:
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$2,750 at a community college
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$4,000 at a private college or university
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$5,500 at a public university
The scholarships are renewable for up to 3 years at a community college and up to 5 years at a private college or public university, totaling up to:
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$8,250 at community college
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$20,000 at a private college or university
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$27,500 at a public university
I know that for too long, high costs have been a barrier to higher education. I am so excited that we worked across the aisle to lower the cost of college by thousands of dollars a year for the vast majority of graduating seniors. I encourage every student going to community college, private college, or a public university to talk to their parent or guardian, gather the needed documents, and fill out the FAFSA as soon as possible.
 Not only will this help students and their families save money, but it will grow our talent pool and get our state close to achieving our Sixty by 30 goal to have 60% of Michigan adults with a skill certificate or college degree by 2030. Let’s keep moving Michigan forward.
In October, I joined company officials and federal, state, and local leaders to break ground on Hemlock Semiconductor’s (HSC) new expansion project at the company’s Thomas Township Operations. Hemlock, a Michigan-made company whose hyper-pure polysilicon is found in nearly every electronic device in the world, is betting on Michigan once again, expanding their presence in Thomas Township with a planned investment of up to $375 million creating 170 jobs.
 Michigan is becoming a global hub of semiconductor chip manufacturing, and we will continue bringing these critical supply chains from China to Michigan so we can create jobs, bring billions in investment to our communities, and lead the future. Powered by bipartisan economic development and state-supported improvements of critical public infrastructure, Hemlock’s planned investment will foster economic opportunity for Michiganders for generations to come.
This is just one of the major investments our state has seen this year. We also received billions of dollars in investments from companies like GM, Stellantis, Ford, LG Energy Solutions, Gotion, and Our Next Energy. I am committed to bringing even more good-paying jobs to Michigan, helping our economy thrive and creating jobs.
As of yesterday, 99% of the lead service lines in Benton Harbor have been replaced, ahead of schedule. Last year, community partners, local officials, state departments, and federal agencies came together to secure bipartisan funding and set an ambitious target to replace every lead line to ensure the health and safety of every family in the city of Benton Harbor.
Every Michigander deserves access to safe drinking water, and I will work with anyone to keep our water clean and protect families from lead exposure.
Last week, I announced the Rebuilding Our Bridges project in Lenawee County had been completed and reopened to traffic four days ahead of schedule. This successful project is another example of how we are working hard to fix roads and bridges at a record pace.
 With the completion of the Lenawee project, Michiganders will have a smoother drive, saving them time and money as they run errands, go to work, or travel. Since I took office through the end of 2022, we will fix over 16,000 lane miles of road and more than 1,200 bridges, supporting nearly 89,000 jobs, and there are plenty more projects underway thanks to the bipartisan Building Michigan Together Plan and my Rebuilding Michigan bond plan. Together, we’re supporting tens of thousands of good-paying jobs and delivering on an issue that matters to us all—safe, reliable infrastructure.
As of November 1, the annual Health Insurance Marketplace open enrollment period has begun. This enrollment period runs through January 15, 2023. We’ve worked with the Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) to make health insurance more affordable for Michiganders. With new grants for free local help and more plan options available, I strongly encourage you to look for an option that is right for you and your family.
Every Michigander deserves access to high-quality, affordable health care. That’s why I have been working to lower the cost of coverage and expand access for years, to ensure every family has access to care at an affordable price. We need to work together to lower the cost of health care so people can have more money in their pockets and better health outcomes, especially as they face rising costs on other essentials. With these subsidies, Michiganders have more time, more support, and more resources to get covered. I will work with anyone to build a Michigan where everyone has the care they need.
I have been using every tool in my toolbox to protect reproductive freedom in Michigan. If Michigan’s 1931 law banning abortion without exceptions for rape or incest and criminalizing doctors and nurses for just doing their jobs goes into effect, 2.2 million Michigan women would lose their bodily autonomy.
That’s why I filed a lawsuit and asked the Michigan Supreme Court to recognize a constitutional right to abortion in Michigan months before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. I later signed an executive directive instructing state departments to increase protections for reproductive health care, urged bold federal action to protect the right to choose by law, and invested in programs to improve health care services for women.
 I will fight like hell to protect every Michigander’s right to make decisions about their own body with the advice of a medical professional they trust. I will not give in or give up for my kids, your kids, and the future of our great state.
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