School starts Wednesday in Battle Creek, here's what you need to know about the Bearcat Advantage

BATTLE CREEK – Students will be returning to class Aug. 21 in Battle Creek, and there's still time for kindergarteners to enroll and be eligible for the full tuition coverage offered through the Bearcat Advantage.

Here's a few questions and answers with Battle Creek Public Schools Communications Manager Nate Hunt:

How can people enroll their kindergartners and what is the timeline on doing so?

Enrollment for kindergarten and all grades for the 2024-25 school year is open now! The easiest way to enroll is to visit battlecreekpublicschools.org/enroll , and follow the instructions there to enroll online. If you have any questions or need support, you can email sbrunner@battlecreekpublicschools.org or call and leave a message at (269) 965-9481, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

The first day of school is Wednesday, August 21, so we strongly encourage families to enroll their students before then so that they don’t miss out on any instruction.

How does the Bearcat Advantage work?

Any student who has attended BCPS since their kindergarten year, starting with the graduating class from two years ago when the Bearcat Advantage was first announced is eligible for 100% coverage of mandatory tuition and fees at eligible four-year colleges and universities in Michigan or nearly 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country.

And starting with last year’s graduating class, the Class of 2024, Bearcat Advantage recipients can have up to 100% of their tuition and fees covered at Michigan’s 15 leading private colleges and universities through our partnership with the Michigan Colleges Alliance.

The longer you’ve been a student at BCPS, the more scholarship funds you are eligible for. If a student attends BCPS from kindergarten through graduation, they will be eligible for 100% of the Bearcat Advantage scholarship.

Please note that students must be enrolled by September 1 for the coming school year to count toward their Bearcat Advantage eligibility. To learn more about eligibility requirements, scholarship details, and see a full list of eligible schools, visit battlecreekpublicschools.org/BearcatAdvantage .

Has the district seen an increase in enrollment since the Bearcat Advantage was announced?

Families are still enrolling their students for the coming school year. Overall, student enrollment in the district has stabilized since the beginning of the district transformation and we’re excited to see enrollment continue to trend in the positive direction as more and more families learn about and access the Bearcat Advantage. This year, 39 graduates from the class of 2024 will be utilizing the Bearcat Advantage scholarship compared to 23 from the class of 2023, an increase of nearly 70%.

More: New partnership provides additional scholarship funding for BCPS grads at Michigan private colleges, universities

Is there a cut off date for people to sign up for school of choice?

Families can enroll their students at Battle Creek Public Schools through Schools of Choice through the end of the first week of school with a deadline of 4 p.m. ET on Friday, August 23, but we strongly encourage families to enroll as soon as possible before the first day of school on August 21, 2024 so that they can start the school year off strong and not miss out on any instruction.

How many students from the class of 2024 are using the scholarship? Do you have a dollar figure for that as well?

Thirty-nine graduates from the class of 2024 accepted Bearcat Advantage scholarships this year, up from 23 a year ago and including three graduates who will be attending an HBCU this fall and seven who will be receiving additional scholarship funds to attend a private college or university through the Michigan Colleges Alliance partnership.

Are students automatically enrolled in the Bearcat Advantage or do they have to sign up for it? If so, how?

Students who graduate from BCPS and who have been a BCPS student for at least their entire high school career are eligible for the Bearcat Advantage. There is a sliding scale for award amounts based on the length of time a student has been enrolled at BCPS.

To access the scholarship, high school seniors just have to submit a brief online application. For application support or other questions, students and families can reach out to the Bearcat Advantage Program Coordinator at bearcatadvantage@battlecreekpublicschools.org .

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Additional comment s

Thanks to a generous gift from the W.K. Kellogg Co, starting this school year, BCPS middle schools will be fielding soccer and softball teams, expanding opportunities for students to participate in team athletics after school and preparing them for high school sports.

We’re also excited for students to experience upgrades to our facilities throughout the district this school year, from air conditioning improvements and water-bottle refilling stations in all our schools to new floors in the Fremont gym and a resurfaced track and field and new video scoreboard at C.W. Post Stadium. Great things are happening at BCPS!

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: School starts Wednesday in Battle Creek, here's what you need to know about the Bearcat Advantage