By UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Fort Hays State University, North Central Kansas Technical College, and Northwest Kansas Technical College recently secured a $461,840 grant from Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) to help fund start-up costs associated with the implementation of the three institutions’ strategic affiliation. Grant funding will be distributed over the next two years.
FHSU President Tisa Mason sees this grant as a major boost for the affiliation partnership as it transitions from concept to implementation.
“We are incredibly grateful for the investment the ECMC Foundation has made in our affiliation initiative,” Mason said. “Our collective dedication to serving the students, communities, and businesses of Western Kansas is unwavering. This shared commitment is our guiding ‘North Star,’ mirroring the ECMC Foundation’s focus on closing equity gaps in higher education.”
Northwest Kansas Technical College President Ben Schears, who crafted the grant proposal, stated that the timeliness of this grant will help the three institutions keep to a very aggressive plan and timeline to implement our affiliation plan.
“Upon our initial submission, it became rapidly apparent there was considerable interest by ECMC in the broader goals and outcomes detailed in our strategic affiliation plan,” Schears said.
The ECMC grant will help the three institutions pursue the stated goals of the affiliation, including:
- Developing ways to better meet students where they are in their academic journey.
- Identifying innovative and flexible educational pathways between the three institutions.
- Creating new programs and degrees that help students acquire the skills and knowledge they need to advance their careers.
- Expanding relationships with regional employers that allow students to acquire real-world experience and cultivate opportunities in the local job market.
- Honoring a shared commitment to providing unparalleled access and affordability.
ECMC President Jacob Fraire saw in this grant proposal an outstanding opportunity to support these three institutions and move this historic affiliation forward.
“This collaboration supports three institutions in realizing their goal of uniting under an integrated governance structure to better serve the postsecondary education needs of rural students in Western Kansas,” Fraire said.
The strategic affiliation initiative created by the presidents of FHSU, North Central Kansas Technical College, and Northwest Kansas Technical College is a powerful step toward addressing an ongoing exodus of professionals from rural Western Kansas.
“For rural Kansas to prosper into the future, every individual needs the opportunity to develop their skills and interests. It is through education that talent and grit connect with professional opportunities to build the workforce needed for economic growth,” said NCK Tech President Eric Burks. “We are honored that ECMC has invested in our affiliation, which ultimately is an investment in our students and our region.”
Learn more about the strategic affiliation initiative at https://www.fhsu.edu/president/affiliation/
About ECMC
ECMC Foundation is a national foundation whose North Star goal is to eliminate equity gaps in postsecondary completion by 2040 so that underserved learners have greater opportunities for social and economic mobility. The Foundation’s mission is to improve higher education for career success among underserved populations through evidence-based innovation. ECMC Foundation makes strategic grants and program-related investments to support both nonprofit and for-profit ventures, guided by a strategic framework that aims to advance systemic change by removing barriers to postsecondary completion, building the capacity of organizations, institutions, and systems, and transforming the postsecondary ecosystem. Learn more about ECMC Foundation by visiting www.ecmcfoundation.org and our parent company, ECMC Group, by visiting www.ecmcgroup.org.”