U of M President Kaler announces new effort to attract, retain more Greater Minnesota students
March 24, 2017—The University of Minnesota announced today the Land-Grant Legacy Scholarship, a new initiative to attract and retain more students from Greater Minnesota, funded through private donations.
“The Land-Grant Legacy Scholarship is a continuation of our commitment to keep Minnesota’s best and brightest students in the state,” said University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler. “Minnesota is a net exporter of college-bound talent and as our state's only public, land-grant, research institution, the University has a special obligation to educate Minnesota students.”
The new effort will launch beginning in fall 2017 with the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) on the Twin Cities campus.
Over the next four years, the scholarship will provide students $5,000 each year for four years. When fully implemented, the effort will support 100 students annually.
“We know that one of the key drivers of Greater Minnesota students’ decisions to study out of state is related to finances. North Dakota, Iowa and South Dakota all have lower tuition than the University,” Kaler explained. “This new scholarship will level the playing field financially and ensure that the University of Minnesota’s stronger academic programs are even more attractive to Minnesota students and families.”
Over time, as new funds are secured, the Land-Grant Legacy Scholarship will expand to include the University of Minnesota system as well as other undergraduate colleges on the Twin Cities campus.
This new scholarship focused on Greater Minnesota students builds on existing efforts that underscore the University’s commitment to support greater access for Minnesota students throughout the University system, including:
- University of Minnesota Promise: Provides need-based scholarships to Minnesota resident undergraduates with family incomes of up to $120,000 who enroll at any of the University's five campuses.
- President’s Emerging Scholars: A four-year program focused on supporting first generation and low income undergraduate students through enhanced professional advising, peer mentoring and engagement programs.
- Raise.Me: Targeted scholarships to students attending under-resourced Minnesota high schools.
“The College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences is uniquely poised to help our graduates address the grand challenges that we face as a society, and we are excited to launch the Land-Grant Legacy scholarship from its inception,” said Brian Buhr, dean of CFANS. “We are committed to playing a role in making this institution and all of the colleges and campuses more accessible to students from all 87 counties, and this scholarship is another step in the process.”
About University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
The University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS), is one of the world's leading research, education and outreach institutions in the natural resources, food and agricultural sciences. Its faculty, staff and students are dedicated to the enhancement and preservation of the world's food supplies and natural resources.
CFANS provides students the opportunity to enter career fields with some of the best job outlooks in the country, including 13 undergraduate majors and over 25 minors ranging from agricultural education and marketing communications to conservation biology and forest and natural resource management, to health and nutrition, and the future of food and agriculture management with a focus in business and technology. As part of this launch, the University will offer enhanced scholarships to Minnesota students, add additional recruitment events in Greater Minnesota and expand outreach to high school counselors and career centers across Minnesota.