Early Middle College is a five-year program of study that may begin as early as grade 9 and is designed to allow a pupil to earn a high school diploma while also earning 60 transferable college credits toward a four-year degree from a Michigan public or private university, an associate degree from a community college, and  the Michigan Early Middle College Association (MEMCA) technical certificate. While KRESA has been participating with EMC for the last few years, Portage is late in developing this pathway due to their rigorous IB programming. 

The benefits of joining this program is that students have an additional year of high school for program completion, students have access to support services which enhances their success, students receive free tuition, books and supplies, and students are enrolled in a focused degree program. 

“This is a great opportunity for highschool student’s to get their associates degree which is paid for by the highschool for up to two years,” says KVCC Dean of Instruction Deborah Coates. 

There are also many types of support for students in the program to help them succeed, such as college success strategies courses and the early/Middle College seminar series. 

College costs continue to rise, education beyond high school is more important than ever, many careers require one-to-two years of post-secondary education, and the workforce needs people who are skilled in areas which meet their needs. More information can be found in the counseling office and on KVCC’s website.