Press Release
October 18, 2012
Kansas All-Star Scholars Fund to provide $50,000 for scholarships at Cowley College
The Kansas All-Star Scholars Fund announced Monday it will be expanding
its impact on students in the south central Kansas region. The fund will
be donating $50,000 for the establishment of scholarships at three area
colleges next year, with one of those schools being Cowley College.
“By adding these scholarships, to programs already funded by the Kansas
All-Star Scholars Fund, we are making a college education more accessible for
a larger number of people,” said Jill Docking, Chair of the Kansas All-Star
Scholars Fund. “Our goal is to create an educated workforce that will
want to stay right here in south central Kansas.”
The All-Star Board, along with the colleges, has crafted individualized
plans on how the money will be distributed. Between the three colleges,
scholarships will be awarded to students studying education, science,
technology, engineering, math and those looking for careers in the allied
health and health management fields. Money will also be set aside and
awarded specifically to students’ age 25 to 39 – this aligns
with the Kansas Board of Regents’ strategic agenda to increase
enrollment for this population.
Butler Community College and the Wichita State University Shocker Athletic
Scholarship Organization will also receive $50,000 from the Kansas All-Star
Scholars Fund for additional scholarships.
The scholarship money will be in addition to the more than $1 million
the Kansas All-Star Scholars Fund has already provided to the students,
teachers and families of Sumner County and Mulvane. Earlier this year
$369,000 in scholarships was awarded to the class of 2012, more than
$555,000 worth of back-to-school reward cards were made available to
students in eight public schools, and one private, and $239,000 was awarded to
area teachers to assist with the costs associated with their classrooms.
“We are thrilled to be making an impact on education in south central
Kansas,” said Docking. “With our new collegiate partners, that
impact will only grow larger.”
Cowley College president, Dr. Patrick J. McAtee, was delighted to receive
this grant from the Kansas All-Star Scholars Fund.
“These funds will allow us to provide an incentive to Sumner County students
to pursue, and more importantly to achieve, their educational goals,” Dr.
McAtee said. “We appreciate their willingness to financially support
the education of the students in our service area.”
The first scholarships will be awarded in 2013.
The Kansas All Star Scholars Fund receives 100% of their funding, $1.5
million each year, from Kansas Star Casino. A blue-ribbon panel of local
business leaders, education leaders and recognized leaders from the state's
higher education community serve on the board that directs and oversees
the Kansas All-Stars Scholars Fund Inc.
“With the number of students who are opting to go into debt to pay for
college, it's a real blessing to have entities like the Kansas All-Star Scholars
Fund who are willing to step up and help support students,” said Ben
Schears, Cowley College vice president of institutional advancement.
Individuals interested in the scholarship can contact Cowley College’s
scholarship office at 620-441-5294 or email Lisa Grose, at grosel@cowley.edu with
their name, address, and telephone number.