(1) From the general fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated an amount not to exceed $4,000,000.00 for 2024-2025 for college access programs. It is the intent of the legislature that, for 2025-2026, the allocation from the general fund money appropriated in section 11 for purposes described in this section will be $3,000,000.00. The programs funded under this section are intended to inform students of college and career options, to provide resources intended to increase the number of pupils who are adequately prepared with the information needed to make informed decisions on college and career, support adult learners, support college completion, and support workforce and employer engagement. The funds appropriated under this section are intended to be used to increase the number of Michigan residents with high-quality degrees or credentials. Funds appropriated under this section must not be used to supplant funding for counselors already funded by districts.

    (2) The department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential shall administer funds allocated under this section in collaboration with the Michigan college access network. These funds may be used for any of the following purposes:

    (a) Michigan college access network operations, programming, and services to local college access networks.

    (b) Local college access networks, which are community-based college access/success partnerships committed to increasing the college participation and completion rates within geographically defined communities through a coordinated strategy.

    (c) The Michigan college advising program, a program intended to place trained, recently graduated college advisors in high schools that serve significant numbers of low-income and first-generation college-going pupils. State funds used for this purpose may not exceed 33% of the total funds available under this subsection.

    (d) Subgrants of up to $5,000.00 to districts with comprehensive high schools that establish a college access team and implement specific strategies to create a college-going culture in a high school in a form and manner approved by the Michigan college access network and the department of lifelong education, advancement, and potential.

    (e) The Michigan college access portal, an online one-stop portal to help pupils and families plan and apply for college.

    (f) Public awareness and outreach campaigns to encourage low-income and first-generation college-going pupils to take necessary steps toward college and to assist pupils and families in completing a timely and accurate free application for federal student aid.

    (g) Subgrants to postsecondary institutions to recruit, hire, and train college student mentors and college advisors to assist high school pupils in navigating the postsecondary planning and enrollment process.

    (3) For the purposes of this section, "college" means any postsecondary educational opportunity that leads to a career, including, but not limited to, a postsecondary degree, industry-recognized technical certification, or registered apprenticeship.