Detroit’s college-access push is getting a serious cash infusion, with a $3.5 million pledge set to transform Graduate 313 from a program into a network of walk-in neighborhood hubs scattered across the city. The Detroit College Access Network’s plan is straightforward but ambitious: put advisers, FAFSA help and career guidance into storefront spaces so students and adult learners can get support close to home instead of trekking downtown.
Crain's Detroit Business reports that the $3.5 million investment is specifically targeted at growing Graduate 313’s neighborhood footprint and bolstering related student supports. The coverage highlights program details alongside on-the-ground scenes from recent DCAN admissions events, where the model is already being road-tested around the city.
What the hubs will do
The new hubs are envisioned as DCAN-owned, community-led storefronts where Detroiters can get one-stop access to college and career help. Students and families will be able to walk in for application support, financial aid guidance, advising and direct connections to local college and workforce partners. According to the Detroit College Access Network, the hubs are being placed across Detroit’s geographic quarters to keep them reachable for as many residents as possible and to match DCAN’s work with neighborhood groups already serving those areas. The spaces are also expected to double as gathering spots where partner organizations can meet, swap resources and share what is working.
Who is backing the effort
DCAN identifies the Jamie and Denise Jacob Family Foundation as a cornerstone partner in its hub strategy, and the foundation’s site shows ongoing, multi-year grants aimed at Detroit’s college-success ecosystem. The first neighborhood hub is set to operate inside Dream Studio Detroit, which notes that the effort is powered by the Jacob Family Foundation, with additional seed backing from the Rocket Community Fund and a contribution from the GM Foundation. Both of those partners appear in DCAN planning documents and local announcements tied to the rollout.
Staff on the ground
To run all this, DCAN has been quietly building out its bench. The organization lists LaTonia Gee as a Graduate 313 program manager and Kendra Agee as a program director at DCAN, roles that will guide day-to-day hub operations and neighborhood outreach as new locations open. Those positions are confirmed on DCAN's team page, which outlines the leadership charged with bringing the hubs from planning to reality.
Why it matters
DCAN is not starting from scratch. The network already runs citywide FAFSA and college-application campaigns that organizers say have helped thousands of Detroit students over the years. In earlier communications, DCAN pointed to a large-scale FAFSA push and broad partner engagement as core wins, citing them as proof the group can move the needle on college access. Events like DCAN’s College Expo and on-site admissions days offer a preview of the kind of neighborhood-facing programming these hubs are meant to expand and replicate.
Officials told Crain's Detroit Business that the $3.5 million will fund multiple hub sites along with more staff and expanded neighborhood programming. Exact locations are still under wraps as DCAN finalizes leases and logistics, but leaders say Detroiters should start seeing the first wave of hub openings and community events in the coming months as the effort shifts from a pilot phase to a citywide rollout.
