College offers tuition-free scholarships to some Kansas high school graduates

Bethany College if offering free tuition for high school graduates from a pair of Kansas counties, according to a news release.

The Lindsborg-based college announced Thursday that it will offer tuition-free scholarships to all students graduating from a McPherson or Saline county high school for the next five years. The scholarships are good beginning in the fall 2017 semester.

“Bethany wants to make a strong investment in our community,” said Bethany College president William Jones in a statement. “These scholarships will give young people in our home counties an opportunity to attend college close to home and hopefully keep them in our area after they graduate.

“A strong local community makes for a strong Bethany College and a strong Bethany College makes for a strong local community.”

The announcement was made at an assembly at Smoky Valley High School in Lindsborg on Thursday morning. Students in grades eight through 12 at the assembly were given certificates for what will be known as a “Bethany Good Life Scholarship,” valued at more than $110,000.

“Our kids are winners today,” said Smoky Valley schools superintendent Glen Suppes. “Hats off to Bethany for making it a priority to serve the youth in our local community.”

Bethany spokeswoman Tina Goodwin said in an e-mail that students with Good Life scholarships would be required to live on campus. She said room and board costs approximately $9,000 a year.

“Bethany College strives to educate students to become successful professionals who love God and love people,” Jones said. “We want every student in our area to have an opportunity to receive a Bethany education.”

The scholarships will be available to first-time college freshmen only upon acceptance into the college. In the release, Matt Pfannenstiel, Bethany dean of admissions and financial aid, said research has shown that students who live on campus perform better academically and are “more successful all-around.”

The college is planning a number of informational sessions to share details about the scholarship, the release said. Students can also participate in the college’s visit day on Jan. 16, 2017.

Established by Swedish Lutheran immigrants in 1881, Bethany College has an enrollment of just more than 700.

This story was originally published December 1, 2016 at 2:57 PM with the headline "College offers tuition-free scholarships to some Kansas high school graduates."