According to the Committee for Economic Development in their document, “Cracks in the Education Pipeline: A Business Leaders Guide to Higher Education Reform,” demographic changes will make it increasingly difficult to maintain a skilled workforce without engaging more students in higher education.

Individuals, corporate leaders, educators and communities, all have a stake in the radical enhancement of college access efforts due to these shifts in the demographics of our population. An aging workforce and global competition have significantly increased the need for a college-educated population. Meanwhile, strong educational and community pathways for many students are lacking. 

Minnesota is fortunate to have several effective college access programs available to students in Minnesota.  Programs such as Upward Bound, Admission Possible, Get Ready!, Destination 2010, Wallins Scholars and others are working hard to support college attendance and success among low income students and students of color.  The Minnesota College Access Network builds on this foundation by providing trainings, networking opportunities and support for existing and emerging programs. 

MCAN represents a strong network of programs, practitioners, schools and community members that can learn from each other, grow together, and form a broad based grassroots effort here in Minnesota to advocate for college access for every student in our state!