Free Program Offers Students Opportunity to Prepare for College, Earn Cash

Due to overwhelming success, Kalamazoo Valley Community College is once again inviting graduating high school seniors and adult learners to a FREE three-week summer program called Valley Advantage.

Students who attend can earn up to $550 for participating and can receive a $500 scholarship if they enroll in at least three credit hours for the Fall 2025 semester at Kalamazoo Valley.

Valley Advantage focuses on what is needed to start college in the fall and is designed to help students build confidence and navigate college. The program is intended to counteract learning loss among recent high school graduates who experienced interruptions to in-person learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A high school diploma or GED is the only requirement.

During this three-week program, students will:

Boost their skills in reading, writing and mathematics
Explore college resources
Learn valuable life skills and success strategies
Engage in team-building exercises

The Valley Advantage offers:

Opportunity to earn up to $550
Assistance with transportation costs (gas card/bus tokens)
Loaner laptop computer
Weekly Valley Food Share box
Classroom supplies
Breakfast or lunch each day
Kalamazoo Valley swag
End-of-program celebration

Assistant Dean of Student Development Services and Special Programs Louis Thomas hopes to build off last year's successes with this summer's students.

"Students gained the confidence they needed to feel comfortable taking the next steps in their educational journey. By the end of the three weeks, you could see a difference," Thomas said. "I am excited to be able to offer the program again."

This summer, four sessions are available and space is limited.

Session Dates
Session 1 | 8:30 - 11:45 a.m. or 12:30 - 3:45 p.m. | Center for New Media on the Arcadia Commons Campus

July 7 - 10
July 14 - 17
July 21 - 24, 28

Session 2 | 8:30 - 11:45 a.m. or 12:30 - 3:45 p.m. | Anna Whitten Hall on the Arcadia Commons Campus

Aug. 4-7
Aug. 11-14
Aug. 18-22

Eighty-one percent of students who participated in last summer's program enrolled in fall semester classes at the college. As part of the program, those students were assigned completion coaches who provided individualized support to help students address academic and non-academic challenges and connect with appropriate campus and community resources.