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%)

 

Real Talk Series


Video from the the 2nd Annual
Excellence in Diversity Awards
is available on our Resources page.

 

Office of Diversity & Inclusion Vision

WMU recognizes that diversity and multiculturalism are essential for university administrators, faculty, staff members, students, alumni, and community partners to reach their unique potential in the areas of intellectual, personal, social, and cultural development in a fully engaged, enlightened community. Therefore, the University has a responsibility to encourage the exploration of the cultures and life experiences that are available on campus and in communities near and far, for cultural diversity makes sense only within a framework that enables equitable treatment of all in a community.

Office of Diversity & Inclusion Mission

WMU will be a leader in the area of diversity and multiculturalism by fostering an environment where diversity in all of its forms is investigated, explained, practiced, celebrated, affirmed, and vigorously pursued. WMU envisions an academic community that affirms the dignity, value, and uniqueness of each person. We intent to aggressively pursue the recruitment, retention, and/or promotion of a more diverse administration, staff, faculty and student body. Moreover, WMU aims to ensure that the campus climate is welcoming and affirming for all persons by addressing the causes and sources of structural inequalities and changing the decision-making processes that prevent “genuine participation” of all university constituents.

Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay & Transgender Student Services
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5363 USA
(269) 387-2123 | (269) 387-2554 Fax
lbgt-coordinator@wmich.edu