At yesterday’s State of the University Address, Zora Mulligan and I announced a new scholarship program called the MoState Access Award.

Beginning next fall, new Missouri undergraduate students who are eligible for the Pell Grant won’t pay any tuition or fees at Missouri State University.

This is a “gap filler” program — meaning the MoState Access Award will cover all tuition and fees that aren’t covered by other scholarships and grants.

You can find more information about the MoState Access Award on the scholarships webpage.

Addressing the decline

Our Pell Grant eligible undergraduate population has steadily declined in recent years.

The Enrollment Steering Team analyzed relevant data and found that MSU’s decline in Pell eligible enrollment has outpaced other institutions in our area.

The Enrollment Management Team recommended the MoState Access Award as a current best practice designed to address this decline.

The MoState Access Award will make an education at Missouri State University accessible for all students regardless of their financial need. This is important to our core mission of educating students to be global citizen scholars. It is also a critical strategy to increase enrollment.

As we work to recruit prospective students, I hope you will join me in spreading the word about this important new access initiative.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!