The Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus Scholarship Patrol has awarded over $7.5 million in scholarship money to first-year and transfer students.

The campus’s admissions department staff knocked on the doors of incoming first-year students for the fall 2022 semester, making more than 30 stops around the state of Kansas, spanning more than 16 hours and 450 miles traveled as part of the event.

Scholarship Patrol is organized by the admissions department at K-State Salina. The patrol travels to future students’ homes and surprises them with scholarships. Kris Grinter, director of admissions at K-State Salina, said the time spent preparing for the event and the long travel are worth it to see the students’ excitement.

“This is my favorite time of year,” Grinter said. “We work with the parents or guardians of students to let them know we are coming. Often, the students’ grandparents or other extended family are there to see the moment and celebrate when they receive a scholarship. We’ve even seen neighbors come over to congratulate the student.”

While the admissions department congratulates the students within driving distance, they still have a special surprise for the students who live farther away. As part of Scholarship Patrol, K-State Salina also sends out decorated K-State-themed boxes to out-of-state students receiving a scholarship. In 2022, the campus has sent out 283 packages to students from 29 different states to help with funding their education.

Christopher Smith, executive director of enrollment management and new student engagement, says this annual event showcases the campus’s efforts in making a college education more accessible to a diverse population for the state of Kansas — and beyond.

“The Scholarship Patrol is an exciting way we showcase how thrilled we are to welcome new students to our campus,” Smith said. “This further demonstrates how our unique personalized approach, placing the student’s wants and needs first, allows us to build better relationships with students and help them understand they are making the right choice on where to go to get their education.”

Scholarship Patrol is made possible by donors who support K-State Salina and Kansas State University as a whole. In 2021, thanks to donations, K-State Salina was able to award over $4.7 million to incoming students as part of the Scholarship Patrol.