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Northwest Missouri State University has entered into an agreement with KC Scholars that establishes a partnership between two institutions that have significant impacts on the regional economy and workforce while providing additional access to support services that enable student success.
With Northwest’s Board of Regents’ ratification May 4 of a memorandum of agreement, the University and KC Scholars are linking to offer scholarship opportunities for traditional college students and adult learners as well as college savings matches.
“It is incredibly satisfying when your work and personal life align,” Dr. Clarence Green, Northwest’s interim president during the 2022-23 academic year, said. “To partner with KC Scholars and create access for students whose circumstances at this point of their lives are very similar to where I began is meaningful. The entire Northwest community is excited about this opportunity.
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Through the terms of the agreement, KC Scholars and Northwest expect to award scholarships of $10,000 to up to 50 qualified students annually, beginning in fall 2024 and continuing through at least 2030. Additionally, Northwest joins the KC Scholars Postsecondary Network, which allows students who are awarded a KC Scholars traditional scholarship, adult learner scholarship or college savings match to apply their award at Northwest.
KC Scholars will select students to receive Northwest scholarships through its established award process, based on the student’s desire to attend the University and a minimum unweighted cumulative high school GPA of 3.25.
Once awarded, scholars must apply and gain acceptance to Northwest, in addition to completing the FAFSA by Feb. 1 of their high school senior year.
KC Scholars award recipients who attend Northwest will receive funding on an annual basis, and a recipient may be granted a renewal for four additional academic years as long as they maintain a 2.0 GPA, have a University housing contract and meal plan, and meet the FAFSA deadline each academic year. Recipients also must be in good standing with KC Scholars.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with KC Scholars and look forward to many of their scholarship recipients selecting Northwest Missouri State University as their choice for higher education,” Dr. Allison Hoffmann, Northwest’s assistant vice president of admissions and student success, said. “Northwest is committed to creating pathways for students to access higher education, and this partnership speaks to that commitment. Additionally, with our focus on student success, we remain deeply committed to supporting students through postsecondary completion. It is truly an honor to be part of the KC Scholars Postsecondary Network and working closely together to transform the region.
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Launched in 2016, KC Scholars is a scholarship and student support program for students and adults who classify with low and modest incomes and reside in the counties of Wyandotte and Johnson in Kansas and Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte in Missouri. It offers more than 650 scholarships annually with a goal of helping 75 percent of its recipients complete a credit-bearing credential or degree and 80 percent of college graduates entering the regional workforce with a family-sustaining career.
Scholarship recipients attend only the higher education institutions with which KC Scholars has entered into a memorandum of agreement.
“This partnership with Northwest Missouri State University creates an amazing opportunity for more Kansas City area students to realize their dreams of a college degree,” Natalie Lewis, KC Scholars’ chief operating officer, said. “At KC Scholars we believe in the impact of education on the financial stability of the next generation. Helping to support the dreams of so many through their investment in education by providing these scholarships shows the commitment Northwest Missouri State has to the community and those are the types of partnerships we strive to build.
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With an enrollment of about 8,500 students, Northwest is a coeducational, primarily residential four-year university that offers a broad range of undergraduate and selected graduate programs on its Maryville campus as well as its Northwest-Kansas City location and through Northwest Online.
Founded in 1905, Northwest boasts a high retention rate, and results of 2021 Ruffalo Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory show Northwest students are more satisfied than students at national peers and 80 percent of Northwest students report they would repeat their University experience, compared to 77 percent of students surveyed nationally at their respective institutions. Additionally, Northwest’s graduation rate is in the 95th percentile among its peers.
Furthermore, 98 percent of Northwest bachelor’s degree earners and nearly 100 percent of master’s degree earners secure employment or continue their education within six months of graduation, according to the most recent data.
Northwest places a high emphasis on profession-based learning to help graduates get a jumpstart on their careers. Students have opportunities to build their résumés with experiences on campus in nearly every area of study, including the Horace Mann Laboratory School, National Public Radio affiliate KXCV, the R.T. Wright Farm, Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area or Knacktive, a student-driven integrated digital marketing communications agency. In conjunction with its emergency and disaster management program, Northwest organizes and hosts Missouri Hope, an annual mass casualty training exercise that attracts first responders and emergency workers from throughout the nation and provides hands-on training in preparation for a natural disaster.
Furthermore, its vibrant and diverse learning community offers more than 150 student organizations, and textbooks and a laptop are included in tuition, which is among the lowest in the nation, saving students an estimated $6,800 over four years. Northwest also offers 1,200 student employment positions, allowing students to build professional skills through its internationally benchmarked student employment program.
For more information about Northwest and its performance, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/aboutus/facts/.
