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Source: Les Hannah, 785-826-2928, ldhannah@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Natalie Blair, 785-826-2642, nblair@k-state.edu

Thursday, July 23, 2009

K-STATE AT SALINA HOSTS KAUFFMAN SCHOLARS

SALINA, KAN. – The Kauffman Scholars program recently brought 22 high school juniors to Kansas State University at Salina to tour campus and learn about available academic programs.

The Scholars learned about the electrical engineering, computer engineering and mechanical engineering programs and toured the mechanical lab in the engineering technology department. In the aviation department they learned about the Applied Aviation Research Center and aviation maintenance program, experienced flying via simulators, and sat in the cockpit of a Cessna 172 Skyhawk. To further enhance the collegiate experience, the Scholars joined K-State at Salina students in the cafeteria for lunch.

The $70 million Kauffman Scholars Inc. college prep and graduation program began in 2003 and is supported by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. KSI plans to assist more than 2,300 low-income students in Kansas City, Kan., and Kansas City, Mo. The Scholars initiative grew out of Project Choice, a dropout prevention program that showed a dramatic increase in the number of low-income students who completed college.

The first Scholars’ graduating class has seen 95 percent of its members admitted into colleges and universities across the country, with 80 percent headed to four-year institutions. As Kauffman Scholars, each of the 125 students will have college scholarship assistance, awarded either from outside resources or KSI, to ensure that Scholars will incur no college-related debt.

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