FAQ's
Kalamazoo Promise
Frequently Asked Questions
Who funded the Kalamazoo Promise?
The Promise was funded by a group of anonymous donors.
When will the Promise scholarships end?
No end date has been established for the Promise. If an end date is announced, all students enrolled in the Kalamazoo Public Schools at the time of the announcement will be eligible for the Promise scholarship.
Do only the students who have attended Kalamazoo Public Schools for their entire elementary and secondary school experience qualify for the scholarship?
No. Students who have attended Kalamazoo Public Schools for only a portion of their K-12 schooling can also receive scholarship funds on a pro-rated basis. The tuition benefits are as follows:
Length of Attendance Benefit
K-12 .......................100%
1-12 ........................95%
2-12 ........................95%
3-12 ........................95%
4-12 ........................90%
5-12 ........................85%
6-12 ........................80%
7-12 ........................75%
8-12 ........................70%
9-12 ........................65%
10-12 .....................None
11-12 .....................None
12-12 .....................None
Is the purpose of the involvement of WMU with the Promise just to get more Kalamazoo Public School students to attend WMU?
No. While WMU welcomes students to our campus and believes that any Kalamazoo Public School student will receive a high quality education, our involvement in the Kalamazoo Promise is not a recruitment effort. Rather, the purpose of WMU’s involvement is to make a strong contribution to the success of the Kalamazoo Promise. The nature of WMU’s contribution includes, but is not limited to, collaborative projects with the Kalamazoo Public Schools pertaining to improving teaching and learning in the Kalamazoo Public Schools, collaborative projects with other community agencies focused on improving education, heath, and social services for Kalamazoo children and youth, research and evaluation, mentoring of students from Kalamazoo Public Schools who attend WMU, and partnerships with Kalamazoo Valley Community College to assure seamless services for Kalamazoo students who attend either of these two higher education institutions.
Who is doing research on the Promise?
Western Michigan University Evaluation Center and the Upjohn Institute are involved in research on the Promise. Linkages to them is available on the Resource page of this Website.
How many Promise scholarship students are attending WMU?
| 2006 | 2007 | |
| KPS Graduates | 515 | 567 |
| Eligible for the Promise | 417 | 481 |
| Approved for the Promise | 373 | 461 |
| Using the Promise | 340 | 359 |
| Number and Percentage of Promise Using Graduates Who Attended WMU | 106 (31%) | 106 (30%) |
