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A federal initiative to encourage colleges and universities to pull themselves up educationally is paying off at Missouri State University-West Plains. KSMU’s Ryan Welch has the story.
Project Threshold is a program at MSU-West Plains that helps lead prospective students to the “threshold” of a college education. It’s paid for by the $100,000 College Access Challenge Grant. This is the second year MSU-West Plains has received the grant. Dean of Students Herb Lunday says the program can help determine the quality of students’ lives for the rest of their lives. There are about ten components the program uses to work with high school students in the West Plains region. They address career awareness, help with financial aid, and show students how important a college education is.
Lunday says the grant has benefited students and the greater community alike.
“In the current economic climate, we simply could not have afforded all of these outreach initiatives without this grant funding. Times are tough for education nationally and we are no exception. So what has this done for us? Because we had the grant money and did all these things, enrollment is booming over here in West Plains, Missouri,” says Lunday.
Lunday said MSU-West Plains has experienced 11 consecutive semesters where enrollment has increased. Even though the enrollment is small compared to other universities, Lunday says Project Threshold had a great deal to do with its growth over the past year.
For KSMU News, I’m Ryan Welch.
