By At the end of his junior year at Battle Creek Central High School, Noah Nichols walked into what he thought was just another assembly. Instead, it changed his life.
“We all sat down, and this woman came out and said, ‘If you went to Battle Creek Public Schools from kindergarten through 12th grade, your college will be fully paid for,’” Nichols recalled in his dorm room at the University of Olivet. “It seemed unbelievable at first, but here I am.”
Nichols is just one of many Battle Creek students who received the Bearcat Advantage scholarship, eligible to all who attended BCPS schools for their entire high school career. The program offers students up to 100% of tuition and mandatory fees at dozens of four-year colleges and universities throughout Michigan, as well as nearly 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country. The amount of the award is determined by how long students were enrolled in the district.
Merealen Valencia attended BCPS schools from kindergarten through high school and received a full-ride scholarship through the Bearcat Advantage. The program was instrumental in her decision to study nursing at Michigan State University.
“The cost of college has gotten so high,” said Valencia. “This scholarship lifted a huge weight off my family, knowing that I was going to have my tuition paid and not have to face debt.”
BCPS launched Bearcat Advantage in 2023 with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF).
“Every BCPS graduate holds extraordinary potential, and it’s our responsibility to help unlock it,” said BCPS Superintendent Kimberly Carter. “This scholarship opens doors to higher education by providing the resources and opportunities our students need to succeed and thrive.”
Bearcat Advantage builds on the foundation’s nearly century-long support for Battle Creek children and families. In 2017, the foundation made a historic, five-year, $51 million investment to strengthen BCPS, rolling out new academic and extracurricular programs and improving the systems of support for students and their families. Those changes have ensured that students get the educational foundation they need to be successful after finishing high school.
And then, by eliminating financial obstacles for families, the program also helps students access the opportunities of higher education without being saddled by student loan debt.
“I come from a background where every dollar really counts, so this scholarship really means a lot to me and my family,” said BCPS graduate Tristan Jackson, who is now majoring in business administration at the University of Michigan. “It enabled me to pay my tuition so I can graduate debt-free.”
Bearcat Advantage helps students pursue goals and passions that might otherwise go unrealized. Jackson is excited to pursue internships that will help jump start his future career, Nichols is wrestling at the college level while pursuing a degree in risk and insurance management, and Valencia wants to study abroad.
“There’s an amazing clinical program in London I’m hoping to get to be a part of,” she said. “Since the scholarship covers my tuition, that’s now a possibility.”
Jackson, Nichols and Valencia are three of the 70+ Battle Creek students who have participated in the Bearcat Advantage since it launched two years ago, bringing their college dreams to life. To date, the Bearcat Advantage has helped students attend more than a dozen colleges and universities, including Albion College, Alma College, Central Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University, Jackson State University, Madonna University, Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, Northern Michigan University, the University of Michigan, The University of Olivet and Western Michigan University.
“Our children shouldn’t have to set their dreams aside because of economic constraints,” said La June Montgomery Tabron, WKKF’s president and CEO. “The Bearcat Advantage removes barriers so that Battle Creek students can follow their own paths and create a brighter and more equitable future for our community.”
Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders. The future of Battle Creek, Michigan, and beyond will be written by young people like Valencia, Nichols and Jackson. By supporting them to realize their potential, Bearcat Advantage helps make our future bright, prosperous and equitable.
“Getting all your tuition paid isn’t something that happens often, so I’m really blessed,” Nichols said. “The Bearcat Advantage scholarship is helping me to be the first person in my family to get a bachelor’s degree in a very long time. Maybe ever. So it’s a big thing.”
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