But Michigan legislators aren’t blind to the challenge students embrace to pursue their education, and a potential new plan could make this problem a way of the past.

Under the Michigan 2020 Plan, high school students could have their college tuition entirely covered by the state by 2020.

The ambitious plan, which previously was rejected in 2012, has been slated as a top priority for Senate Democrats and is expected to come with a $1.8 billion price tag.

There is a lot of good that could be said about the Michigan 2020 Plan.

Offering free tuition would open the door to many students who previously saw little hope of acquiring a college degree.

Much like the Kalamazoo Promise — through which tuition aid is granted from anonymous donors to students who attend in-state colleges — the Michigan 2020 Plan is intended to make higher education something that isn’t restricted to a fortunate few.

For a state with a 24 percent high school dropout rate, this plan could make the idea of abandoning an education to join the workforce obsolete.

Instead of wondering what opportunities might be available once they left school, students would know.

The long-term effects of the plan also seem promising.

Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer has been adamant about the changes this plan could have for Michigan and she says it could serve as a way of retaining young talent that could spur job growth.

It could help recharge Michigan’s economy with a young workforce, ready and willing to start their careers in the state that vacated them from a debt many young adults are forced to deal with.

With the amount of good the Michigan 2020 Plan could accomplish, it seems like there are few reasons why any politician wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to push it through and have it signed into law.

But then you realize there is one thing holding this plan back, and it is the same thing that seems to stand in the way of Michigan’s progress — money.

Senate Republicans, who maintain a 26-11 majority have voiced their opposition to the Michigan 2020 Plan saying the undertaking would require a significant tax increase to residents.

Democrats have refuted this claim, insisting that no tax increase would be imposed on individuals, but one likely would be applied to businesses.

Whether the Michigan 2020 Plan is passed into law or not, the fact that education has made its way to the forefront of conversation is a promising sign for the state.

To ensure its success in the future, Michigan will need to hold onto as much of its young talent as it can.

This plan is a good step.