5 Kansas colleges offer incentive to future teachers
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Five colleges in south-central Kansas are uniting to solve the state’s teacher shortage.
The project is called Educate the State. It involves two public colleges, Butler Community College and Cowley College, and three private colleges, Friends University, Newman University, and Southwestern College.
They say they have created a more affordable transfer option for Secondary Education majors. Secondary Education majors from Butler and Cowley colleges can transfer to Friends, Newman or Southwestern to finish their degree for a reduced rate.
It will cost $300 per credit hour for Educate the State students. Butler Community College says that equates, for example, to a $22,000 scholarship at Friends University.
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“We’re just discounting that price, and understanding we’re going to receive fewer funds from those students, but we’re doing it because we believe in this program and we believe that education is important to our community,” Amy Bragg Carey, Friends University president, said.
The schools also say this will help new teachers avoid student loan debt.
“For many, teaching is not a high-paying profession, so accruing a lot of debt from college is one of the barriers for students wanting to go into higher ed or even into K-12, so any level of education,” Kathleen Jagger, Newman University president, said.
The goal is to attract more students to a teaching career.
“Through cooperative initiatives such as Educate the State, we will leverage incentives and partnerships to attract more young people to the vocation of teaching and, in doing so, we will better serve our communities and, more broadly, Kansas,” Elizabeth Frombgen, Southwestern College president, said.
To get the Educate the State discount, students must:
Earn a Secondary Education associate degree from Butler or Cowley with a 2.75 minimum GPA.
Transfer to Friends, Newman or Southwestern based on subject matter emphasis as a full-time Secondary Education major.
Receive the discounted $300 tuition rate for the final two years regardless of the four-year institution selected.
Butler Community College says Educate the State speaks to the school’s long-standing commitment to education.
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“We’re celebrating 20 years of BEST this year, which is our Butler to Emporia Students to Teachers program for elementary education teachers,” Kim Krull, Butler president, said. “It’s fitting we launch this next great partnership through Educate the State to help meet the demand for secondary education teachers and we’re honored to be working with these educational partners.”
“Educate the State gives Cowley College students an affordable option to pursue a degree in secondary education at one of three high-quality private institutions,” Michelle Schoon, Cowley president, said. “This partnership provides opportunities for our students to stay local and fill the shortage of educators in our region.”
Click the links to learn more about the five colleges:
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