SALINA — For a fifth-straight year, Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus completed the Scholarship Patrol, a campaign that awards scholarship money to first-year and transfer students who will be attending the campus.

Scholarship Patrol is an annual effort put forth by K-State Salina’s admissions staff, who travel to parts of the state of Kansas to knock on the doors of future students and their families, surprising them with a scholarship. The department recently wrapped up its 2023 campaign, awarding more than $9.5 million in scholarship money to future students.

Since 2019, the K-State Salina admissions staff has traveled more than 2,500 miles, visited more than 100 homes and mailed nearly 1,800 boxes across 42 states. In that span, Scholarship Patrol awarded more than $13.5 million in scholarship money to future K-State Salina students.

“The efforts from our admissions staff really makes this annual event possible,” said Kris Grinter, director of admissions at K-State Salina. “Seeing the emotion from future students and their families knowing that they will be saving money makes the travel worth it.”

While not all future K-State Salina students receive a knock on their front door, many still receive a scholarship through a special box that is mailed to them directly with a virtual Scholarship Patrol experience. The K-State-themed boxes also come as an enthusiastic welcome to campus, equipped with an oversized scholarship check, candy and K-State gear.

“Kansas State University has always led the charge in providing affordable and accessible education,” said Christopher Smith, executive director of enrollment management and new student engagement. “Thanks to initiatives like the Scholarship Patrol, our impactful efforts are now transforming even more lives — giving countless students at K-State Salina a chance to pursue their educational goals with greater ease than ever before. We proudly remain committed as a land-grant institution to achieving our 2030 strategic initiative’s goal of equitable access for all across Kansas.”

Scholarship Patrol is made possible by donors who support K-State Salina and Kansas State University as a whole. The campus offers five different scholarship packages for which only students at the campus are eligible, as well as others that are available to any Kansas State University student, regardless of campus location.

Watch an interview with past Scholarship Patrol recipients on the K-State Salina YouTube channel.