Valley Advantage

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

Kalamazoo Valley Community College is once again inviting recent high school graduates and adult learners to a FREE three-week program called the Valley Advantage.

Valley Advantage will focus on what is needed to start college in the winter and is designed to help students build confidence and navigate college. A high school diploma or GED is the only requirement. The state-funded 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.

Session Dates
October 10: Orientation | 12 - 2:30 p.m. | Anna Whitten Hall on the Arcadia Commons Campus
October 15, 17, 22, 24, 29, and 31 | 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Anna Whitten Hall on the Arcadia Commons Campus

Registration opens August 30.

Program highlights:

During this three-week program, students will:

• Boost their skills in English 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 during the program.
• Assistance with transportation costs (gas card/bus tokens)
• Loaner laptop computer
• Weekly Valley Food Share box
• Classroom supplies
• Lunch each day
• Kalamazoo Valley swag
• End-of-program celebration

Is this program really free?

The program is funded by the state of Michigan through the Michigan Community College Association, so there is no cost to attend.

Who can participate in Valley Advantage?

The program is available to anyone who is interested in attending college in the fall.

• 2024 high school graduates (now eligible for the free Michigan Achievement College Scholarship)
• Anyone, of any age, who has a high school diploma or GED and has earned less than six college credit hours.

Admissions Steps

Step 1: Apply to Valley Advantage

If you have been accepted to Kalamazoo Valley and are able to log in to your student portal, fill out our short Valley Advantage application using the link below.

If you have not yet applied to Kalamazoo Valley and are unable to log in to your student portal, complete the Valley Advantage application using the link below.

Step 2: Placement Test

If you have placement test scores to submit, use our submission portal to upload them now. If you plan to complete placement testing prior to starting Valley Advantage, visit the Kalamazoo Valley Testing Center website to read more information. Please note, you must have an application to Kalamazoo Valley Community College on file to complete placement testing. Apply to the college now.

You will be notified by email within one week of submitting your application if accepted.

Please email advantage@kvcc.edu for questions or assistance.