BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Battle Creek Public Schools is bridging the gap between its students and private institutions thanks to a new partnership with Michigan Colleges Alliance.
"Having the Bearcat Advantage, you know, lessens the load on you when you still got to figure out how to pay housing," said Noah Nichols, a graduating senior.
Nichols recently committed to Olivet College where he plans to wrestle. "If it wasn't for the barricade advantage, I probably wouldn't be going to college," he told FOX 17.
The scholarship was initially launched in 2023, covering up to 100% of tuition and fees for Battle Creek Public School students attending universities within Michigan and HBCUs.
"We want to supplement that with additional resources for our students that close the gap that they had for attending private institutions within Michigan," said Superintendent, Dr. Kim Carter.
Through the partnership with Michigan Colleges Alliance, Carter says scholarship funding will be available for 15 private colleges and universities in Michigan.
"What we're able to do is eliminate barriers, we want our students to know that we see them, we believe in them, and that they have access to an amazing future," she said.
Prior to this, students wishing to attend private institutions would have to cover the difference themselves in cost between the scholarship and required tuition.
"For this opportunity to come up, you know, save my…save my mom a lot of money because, you know, we grew up in Battle Creek," said Devoine Newton Jr, a graduating senior.
Newton recently committed to Albion College where he plans to play football. He says the scholarship is a weight of his mom's shoulders, and his.
"I wanna come back here and build into people that I grew up looking like being like everything same environment," he said.
Students who have attended all of high school at Battle Creek Public Schools are eligible to apply for the scholarship. The longer they've been in the district, the bigger the scholarship students will receive.
Scholarship information and application can be found here.
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