Financial Aid Helps Build Michigan College Town

Students Are Supported by The Kalamazoo Promise

Kalamazoo College, a private liberal arts school in Michigan, has provided major financial aid to more than 200 students from its hometown over the past decade by participating in an innovative program that offers graduates from Kalamazoo public schools a full scholarship. 

The Kalamazoo Promise program also supports students who go to public colleges and universities. It has opened up educational opportunity for more than 9,000 public school graduates since it debuted in 2005 with support from private donations. Many of those scholars have gone to Western Michigan University, a public research university based in Kalamazoo, as well as Kalamazoo Valley Community College and others around the state. 

Originally, the program focused on providing students with scholarships to cover full tuition and fees at public colleges and universities in Michigan. But a group of private colleges, including Kalamazoo College, joined in 2015. Those private colleges have provided significant financial aid. 

Since 2015, 230 Promise scholars have enrolled at Kalamazoo College, and 40 were first-generation college students. Currently, there are 85 Promise scholars at the college. Known by its nickname “K,” the college has about 1,200 students. 

Kalamazoo College student Tom Clark, shown in the picture above, is a junior majoring in business. He is also a Kalamazoo Promise scholar.