Kansas State University

MANHATTAN -- Kansas State University's Division of Continuing Education has awarded $26,400 in scholarships to distance education students across the country for the spring 2014 term. This is the largest amount of scholarship funding the division has awarded for a single semester.

Dave Stewart, associate dean of continuing education, said the division fundraising team worked to increase the amount and availability of scholarship funding.

"We were able to provide increased support directly from our own budget, as well as provide links to other scholarship sources for distance students," Stewart said. "In the future we will be exploring other opportunities to increase and expand our support to establish an endowed scholarship fund."

The Division of Continuing Education's DCE Scholarship for Distance Students offers $900 to undergraduate students and $1,200 to graduate students, and the Maurine Allison O'Bannon Memorial Scholarship provides $1,000 awards. Both scholarships are available to Kansas State University students pursuing a degree program through distance education.

"Scholarship support is very important to distance and nontraditional students who have many other financial obligations in their lives," said Stewart. "This support often makes the difference in being able to continue with their education or having to drop out."

The division's spring 2014 scholarship recipients include:

Ashley MacKinnon, senior in dietetics, Fort Riley, DCE Scholarship; Alex Arnold, junior in animal sciences and industry, Fort Scott, DCE Scholarship; Ariel Dowdle, senior in interdisciplinary social science, Lawrence, O'Bannon Scholarship.

From Manhattan: Michelle Graham, junior in general business, O'Bannon Scholarship; Winnie Knapp, master's student in personal financial planning, DCE Scholarship; and Angela Lara, junior in general business, O'Bannon Scholarship.

Erin Mosiman, senior in general business, Newton, DCE Scholarship; Rebecca Sombatchareun, senior in family studies and human services, Pleasanton, O'Bannon Scholarship; Kyle Bures, master's student in academic advising, Princeton, DCE Scholarship; and Derek Judd, senior in general human ecology, Wichita, O'Bannon Scholarship.

From out of state:

Patrick Lowery, master's student in merchandising, Orlando, Fla., DCE Scholarship; Anne Combs, master's student in adult and continuing education, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., DCE Scholarship; Robin Durain, senior in dietetics, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, O'Bannon Scholarship; Erin Schultz, senior in dietetics, Dearborn, Mich., DCE Scholarship; Kathleen O'Leary, master's student in academic advising, Hamilton, Mont., DCE Scholarship; Karyn Raney, master's student in academic advising, Schenectady, N.Y., DCE Scholarship; Diana Lovendino, master's student in academic advising, Midwest City, Okla., DCE Scholarship; Johnny Hedgepath, master's student in academic advising, Bluff City, Tenn., DCE Scholarship; Cornell Sneed, master's student in academic advising, Johnson City, Tenn., DCE Scholarship; Spenser Simpson, master's student in academic advising, Provo, Utah, DCE Scholarship; Abderrahmane Elandaloussi, master's student in electrical engineering, Pullman, Wash., DCE Scholarship; and Ryan Kernan, master's student in academic advising, Tacoma, Wash., DCE Scholarship.

The deadline to apply for summer and fall scholarships is April 1, 2014. Application guidelines and further information on these scholarships and others can be found at http://www.dce.k-state.edu/students/services/financial-aid.