Combining Scholarships and Reduced Fees to Make Tuition More Affordable Than Ever
Committed to making higher education more affordable for students and their families, ESU has increased scholarships and reduced fees. Emporia State University has achieved this by implementing operational efficiencies, eliminating waste and maximizing financial resources.
For the fall 2024 semester, the university awarded 141% more (2,936 v. 1,216) scholarships than last year. New and returning students benefited from enhanced scholarships and lower fees, decreasing overall cost of attendance. Investments in recruitment scholarships has led to substantial enrollment increases for fall 2024 in visual and performing arts classes as well as the Honors College.
Overall, the university saw 16% increase in new student enrollment compared to fall 2023. These gains are in all categories — freshmen (6%), transfers (18%), graduate (7%) and Jump Start high school students (156%). Additionally, student retention from first to second year improved by 8%, year over year.
“At Emporia State we don’t think it’s right to continue to pass the rising cost of higher education on to students and their families. That’s why we are dedicated to reducing these costs through increased scholarships and reduced fees.” said Ken Hush, Emporia State University president and CEO. “Through our relentless focus on institutional efficiencies and modernization of our business model, we will continue to find ways to drive down costs for both students and Kansas taxpayers.”
Enrollment increases for fall 2024 at the School of Visual and Performing Arts and the Honors College are as follows:
- Orchestra, 70%
- Choirs, 59%
- Theatre, 58%
- Honors College, 50%
- Art, 29%
- Marching Hornets, Cheer, Stingers Dance and Color Guard, 20%
Students from any major can participate in the Honors College and its programs, which offers a renewable $1,000 scholarship. The new arts scholarships, also open to students from any major, range from $750 to more than $2,000 per year. Fall 2024 also saw the first Legacy scholarships, a $1,000 renewable award for new and returning students who are children of ESU alumni and seeking a full-time undergraduate degree.
The Jump Start concurrent program for area high school students includes scholarships that reduce the tuition cost to $21/credit hour, making a three-hour class cost just $63.
The ESU scholarship portal at emporia.edu/scholarships is now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year. Students should apply by the priority date of Dec. 1, 2024. The portal provides a comprehensive list of scholarships and guides students through the application process.