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Media Relations
Kansas State University
9 Anderson Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6415
media@k-state.edu

Information provided by K-State Media Relations, K-State's news service, may be reproduced without permission. The marks and names of Kansas State University are protected trademarks and may not be used in any commercial or private endeavor without the approval of the university.

Sources: Lt. Col. George Belin, 785-532-6754, gbelin@k-state.edu;
Maj. Jim Porter, 785-532-6754, jporter@k-state.edu; and Art DeGroat,
785-532-0369, degroata@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Andy Badeker, 785-532-6415, abadeker@k-state.edu

Monday, July 7, 2008

K-STATE DOUBLES ITS NUMBER OF ARMY SCHOLARSHIPS FOR INCOMING CLASS

MANHATTAN -- Even as other schools face difficulty filling their allotments of Army ROTC scholarships, Kansas State University has more than doubled its number of incoming freshmen who will attend on full four-year grants.

For the fall 2008 cadet class of 55 to 60 freshmen, 41 won such scholarships, up from K-State's original allotment of 18, according to Lt. Col. George Belin, head of K-State's department of military science. Other students are taking advantage of two- and three-year offers.

The jump is only partly due to increased availability. Nationally, Army Cadet Command has vowed to graduate 25 percent more second lieutenants, and the number of scholarships has risen accordingly.

"Almost any school could have given away a boatload of scholarships," said Maj. Jim Porter, scholarship and enrollment officer for K-State's Army ROTC program. "What's key to our success is what K-State can add to the scholarship."

That includes the university's welcoming atmosphere, the proximity and involvement of Fort Riley, and the program's history of academic and professional success, Porter said. Four K-State cadets who graduated in May were among the top 100 in the country, and 95 percent of the cadet graduates, now new Army second lieutenants, got their first choice of service specialty. Nationally the average is only 60 percent.

K-State's Army ROTC cadets spend a lot of time at Fort Riley from the time they're freshmen, Belin said, which adds to his program's standing.

Belin also credits his cadre's effort, starting with a friendly reception in the hallways and offices of Gen. Richard B. Myers Hall.

"We go to the effort of making prospects and their families welcome and of making sure that their needs are being met," Belin said. "We encourage them to look at other programs, too. I think we out-hustle our competition."

Of the 41 scholarship cadets, 13 will come from out of state. ROTC pays universities the prevailing tuition for each student. That should bring in more than $2.4 million over four years, an amount that will cover cadets' tuition, housing and other expenses, according to Art DeGroat, director of military affairs at K-State.

For Porter, looking back on a 2008 graduating class of 24 second lieutenants who had access to only six four-year scholarships, the future is exciting.

"The contribution that K-State will make to Army leadership is going to be phenomenal," he said.

Not all of the approximately 270 schools with comparable ROTC programs can fill their scholarship allotment. Porter praises "a student base of patriotism and supportiveness at K-State, even among non-cadets."

"There are clearly challenges that other ROTC programs are facing across the country," Belin said, noting the war in Iraq and a corresponding cooling toward military service. "I told Cadet Command, 'Give me their scholarships and I'll continue to create lieutenants for the Army.'"

The increase in available scholarships should continue through the class that graduates in 2013, Porter said.

"The environment is constantly changing, but we continue working diligently to gain scholarships for those students who are eager to attend K-State," Belin said.