Van Buren Middle College Program Offers Free Associate's Degree

Van Buren Middle College program is a program that I just discovered but I feel is just as crucial as the Kalamazoo Promise. The Kalamazoo Promise was announced by Dr. Janice Brown in 2005 with the declaration that students who graduate from the Kalamazoo Public Schools and meet the basic requirements will receive up to 100% of tuition and mandatory fees paid for at any in-state public community college or university.

For the last 18 years, the Promise has been creating new success stories, but what about Van Buren Middle College program, which according to Van Buren Tech has its own program where students can earn a free Associate's Degree:

Get our free mobile app

Students in the Van Buren Middle College program were able to earn a free associate degree by completing a fifth year of high school. Van Buren Middle College is designed to be a robust bridge between high school, college, and a student’s future career. The program seeks to provide students with a rich college experience, along with an excellent opportunity for targeted and specific career and technical education; students participate in intense mentoring throughout the program to ensure their success!

Creating A Success Story

Heather Hageman was one of the recipients of the certificate of completion this year from KVCC after completing the program and expressed her excitement about being able to speak at the ceremony: