The Bearcat Advantage and Michigan Colleges Alliance Partner to Extend Scholarship Funding to 15 of Michigan’s Top Private Colleges and Universities

This new partnership will expand on the Bearcat Advantage scholarship, providing more opportunities to Battle Creek Public Schools graduates and improving access to private higher education.

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS) is excited to announce a new partnership between the Bearcat Advantage and Michigan Colleges Alliance (MCA) that will provide students an opportunity for full gap funding to cover the difference between the Bearcat Advantage Scholarship and the tuition and fees required at 15 of Michigan’s top private colleges and universities.

“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of Michigan Colleges Alliance for making private higher education more accessible to students who otherwise may not have the opportunity to pursue it,” said Kimberly Carter, Superintendent of BCPS. “Developing world-class educational experiences for our students by eliminating opportunity gaps is a top priority. This announcement marks another exciting milestone on the path to dismantling systemic inequities and advancing equity in education.”

Bearcat Advantage logo

Last year, with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Bearcat Advantage was launched, a historic scholarship that covers up to 100% of tuition and mandatory fees for qualifying graduates, beginning with the class of 2023, to eligible four-year colleges and universities in Michigan or Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country. Now, starting with the class of 2024, BCPS graduates eligible to receive the Bearcat Advantage will also be eligible to receive additional scholarship funding to attend any of the 15 Michigan Colleges Alliance (MCA) institutions.

The scholarship amounts are calculated using the stated tuition and fees at the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science & the Arts as the maximum award amount, which initially meant that students attending private schools within Michigan or eligible HBCUs would need to cover the difference in cost between the University of Michigan and their intended institution independently from the Bearcat Advantage. But starting today, this new opportunity made possible by Michigan Colleges Alliance allows the next generation of BCPS students the option to attend 15 top private colleges and universities in Michigan without the financial barriers of covering that difference in cost.

The 15 new eligible institutions are Adrian College, Albion College, Alma College, Andrews University, Aquinas College, Calvin University, College for Creative Studies, University of Detroit Mercy, Hillsdale College, Hope College, Kalamazoo College, Madonna University, The University of Olivet, Siena Heights University, and Spring Arbor University.

“College choice is critical to student success, and we are fortunate to have so many leading higher education options in our network,” said Robert Bartlett, President of Michigan Colleges Alliance. “It has always been among our top priorities to broaden college choice and access in Michigan, and we are delighted that this partnership with the Bearcat Advantage will allow more students the opportunity to pursue education at one of our many campuses.”

In addition to the many incredible scholarships and resources for post-secondary studies at two-year colleges and trade schools available, the Bearcat Advantage and Michigan Colleges Alliance scholarship opportunities will have a positive impact on BCPS students and the broader Battle Creek community for generations to come. This partnership represents yet another step toward expanded access and opportunity for students attending Battle Creek Public Schools, where an expansive transformation has been underway for the past seven years.

About the Bearcat Advantage

The Bearcat Advantage scholarship:

  • Covers up to 100 percent of tuition and mandatory fees at eligible four-year colleges and universities in Michigan or eligible Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country for qualifying Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS) graduates!
  • Awards scholarship amounts on a sliding scale based on the length of time a student has been continuously enrolled at BCPS.
    • For example, those who have been a student at BCPS for at least every year of high school are eligible to receive a 65% scholarship. Those who have been a student at BCPS for all of K-12 are eligible to receive a 100% scholarship.
  • Is available to use for a four-year undergraduate degree for up to six years after high school graduation.

In order for Battle Creek to offer a bright future to its families and young people, all children must have the opportunity to get an excellent education. The Bearcat Advantage opens a new pathway to four-year colleges and universities for more students in this community by removing the potential barrier of student loan debt. Those who previously may have had to turn down their dream school or who may not have even considered college as an option due to financial circumstances now have expanded opportunities to pursue higher education.

The Bearcat Advantage scholarship was made possible by WKKF, which has served as a longtime partner to BCPS and has been committed to supporting children and families in Battle Creek since its founding. In 2017, WKKF provided the district with a historic five-year, $51 million investment in support of a district transformation with the goal of increasing racial equity by reducing barriers to success for children in the community.

To learn more about the Bearcat Advantage and Michigan Colleges Alliance partnership, visit battlecreekpublicschools.org/BearcatAdvantage.

About Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS)

BCPS is a school district located in Calhoun County, Michigan, serving the City of Battle Creek as well as parts of Emmett, Pennfield and Bedford townships, and the City of Springfield. With a bold goal of achieving 100% success for every Bearcat, the district offers a broad range of educational experiences to meet the individual needs of students at all levels, including project-based learning, individualized instruction, advanced and accelerated curricula and outdoor education experiences. In 2017, BCPS received a historic investment from W.K. Kellogg Foundation to undergo a five-year district transformation. Now on the heels of the transformation plan, the district is entering year seven of the partnership with WKKF to advance bold, top-to-bottom changes and provide a world-class career-, college-, and community-ready education for every student, in every grade, at every school.

About the Michigan Colleges Alliance (MCA)

Michigan Colleges Alliance (MCA) works to strengthen the collective capacity of 15 leading independent, four-year colleges and universities to broaden college choice and access in Michigan, and foster exceptional career outcomes for MCA graduates.

MCA members provide a high quality, values-guided education in the liberal arts and sciences tradition. Our member campuses represent smaller, nurturing environments that encourage self-discovery, leadership, ethical values, critical thinking, global intelligence, and civic engagement.

While individually MCA campuses are smaller, collectively, MCA is the “third largest university” in the state. MCA campuses currently enroll more than 43,000 students, studying in virtually every field and discipline. As a group, MCA institutions lead the state in both four-year graduation rates and minority student enrollment. Over 70 percent of our students are Michigan residents, and the majority remain in Michigan after graduation.