The University of Missouri-Kansas City will offer in-state level tuition to students from all 50 states next year.
The move is tied to two new scholarships unveiled on Wednesday aimed at making college more affordable.
"We are committed to making higher education affordable to the Kansas City community, all of Missouri and Kansas and beyond," Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Jenny Lundgren said in a news release. "These programs remove financial barriers that stand in the way of people earning the credentials needed to launch a professional career."
Beginning in fall 2023, the Roo Nation Award will reduce tuition and fees to the in-state level for eligible first-time college students. To be eligible, a student will need to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. New students and transfer students will also need to have a 3.0 GPA or above.
And in the fall, the Roo Advantage Scholarship makes college free for all new Pell-eligible students from Missouri and Kansas. The scholarship will cover the gap between scholarships and the cost of tuition and fees.
Incoming first-year and transfer undergraduate students with associate's degrees are eligible.
Both the Roo Nation Award and the Roo Advantage Scholarship can be renewed annually.
Madison Atkins, a UMKC junior studying education, is a recipient of the Roo Advantage Scholarship.
“It was a no-brainer about accepting it because I’m basically getting college for free,” Atkins said in the news release. “I did community college to save money, and my family planned to take out loans for UMKC. So when this scholarship came along, it felt like a weight had been lifted.”
UMKC is also simplifying the requirements for its automatic scholarships. Beginning in fall 2023, first-time college students can qualify for some automatic scholarships with either a minimum ACT score or minimum GPA. The university will no longer require both.
KCUR is licensed to the University of Missouri Board of Curators and is an editorially independent community service of the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
