Port Huron, MI — St. Clair County Community College (SC4) and Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Thursday, April 9 to expand higher education access to residents throughout the Thumb and Southeast Michigan.
The new understanding marks a significant expansion of collaboration between the two institutions, creating transformative new pathways for students to earn bachelor’s — and eventually master’s — degrees without leaving their home community. As part of the relationship, SC4 graduates will also receive guaranteed admission to SVSU, further strengthening a seamless transfer experience for students across the region.
In addition, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Concurrent Pathway Agreement was finalized, providing SC4 nursing students with a streamlined, coordinated route to complete their BSN degree at SVSU. This innovative pathway allows students to enroll simultaneously at both institutions, meeting critical workforce needs while accelerating career advancement.
“This initiative is about removing barriers and expanding opportunity,” said SC4 President Kirk Kramer. “Our organizations share a common vision of helping all students prepare for high demand careers. By bringing SVSU programs to the SC4 campus, students can earn advanced degrees close to home, saving time and money while staying connected to their community.”
The MOU establishes a framework for growing academic collaboration, including the development of new degree pathways aligned with regional workforce demands. SC4 and SVSU are currently finalizing the initial programs to be offered, with the goal of launching courses on the SC4 campus in Port Huron as early as this fall.
As the project evolves, additional programs are expected to follow, providing students with expanded options to complete advanced degrees locally. These future offerings will continue to build seamless, student-centered pathways that support educational attainment and strengthen the regional economy.
“Expanding educational offerings, degree pathways, internship experiences and more is good for our students, good for our communities, good for our employers and good for our state,” said George Grant Jr, President of Saginaw Valley State University. “Like SC4, we believe that students should be challenged in the classroom – we want them prepared in their career fields – but we want to remove confusion in other areas so students can focus on learning. These agreements are an important step in that direction and will help students build their careers to meet the workforce needs our employers face every day.”
By combining SC4’s more than 100-year history in providing accessible, high-quality education with SVSU’s robust upper-division and graduate programs, the endeavor represents a powerful investment in the future of the region. Together, the institutions are creating new possibilities for learners — from recent high school graduates to working adults — to achieve their academic and professional goals. The work is perfectly aligned with Michigan’s Sixty by 30 goal, which aims to increase the number of working-age adults with a postsecondary degree or skills certificate to 60% by 2030.
For students throughout the Thumb and beyond, the message is clear: four-year degrees and advanced educational opportunities are coming to Port Huron, opening the door to a brighter future, right at home. If you are interested in registering, please contact Dr. Pete Lacey, Chief Collaboration Officer/SVSU Liaison, at placey@sc4.edu.
### For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff, at srutallie@sc4.edu
St Clair County Community College (SC4) was founded in 1923 and is the only public higher education institution in the thumb of Michigan. SC4 is a comprehensive community college that provides certificates and degrees for employable skills and college credits that can be transferred to a four-year college or university. The college provides collegiate arts and athletics for the area and has been an asset for students and the Port Huron community for over one hundred years.
Saginaw Valley State University is a comprehensive university with more than 90 programs of study. Serving 7,000 students on a suburban campus in Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region, SVSU has earned the distinction of having the “best dorms” of any public university in the United States for seven consecutive years. Founded in 1963, SVSU is committed to a supportive and empowering environment for students, emphasizing undergraduate
teaching and learning, and community-based research. SVSU has earned national distinction through obtaining the 2026 Community Engagement classification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education.
