BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS) students hope the impact of a new scholarship program goes beyond four years.
“I think obviously it means a lot financially, but emotionally is where I think the significance really lies with a lot of kids, especially Black and Brown kids, which are predominate at BCPS,” said Angelo Williams, an 11th grader. “It’s that feeling that you could be the first one to graduate college or set yourself up for generational wealth for your kids and your grandkids.”
On Wednesday, the district announced the Bearcat Advantage scholarship, which covers up to 100 percent of college tuition and fees to attend a Michigan university or a historically Black college or university outside the state.
READ MORE: Kellogg Foundation backing college scholarships for Battle Creek graduates
The W.K. Kellog Foundation is funding the initiative.
Williams wants to become a dermatologist. He says he often worried about the cost of his post-secondary education, but now feels relief.
“Especially those bigger universities, [they] tend to have higher tuition rates, so that being one of my top choices, going to a bigger university, a pre-med school, it definitely eases a lot of the stress on my shoulders going forward,” said Williams.
The amount awarded depends on the length of enrollment. Students that began in kindergarten can receive a full ride, while those that attended for four years of high school would get 65 percent of costs covered.
Eligible graduates may wait up to six years to use the money.
“The expectations of this are really rooted in the desires of the students and of the community, and I think there’s no limit to what they can achieve,” said Megan Russell Johnson, program officer for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, 13.5 percent of households within the district hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher, well below the state and national averages, which are around 35 percent.
BCPS experiences disparities in other key areas too, like median household income and poverty rates.
The district and Kellogg Foundation hope the Bearcat Advantage scholarship eliminates opportunity gaps and improves access to higher education for an entire generation.
“This is opening access to so many different doors that wouldn’t otherwise be available to our families and our students,” said Anita Harvey, director of district transformation for BCPS. “Not only are we changing the student experience through K-12 education, but now we’re giving them access to post secondary education.”
