Enhancing St. Louis’ workforce starts with affordable access to a quality education

The Pell Grant is the nation’s foundational investment in higher education and helps nearly seven million students attend and complete college annually. At the University of Missouri–St. Louis, nearly half of all undergraduate students are Pell-Grant eligible or have excessive financial need as defined by their expected family contribution.

This financial need often inhibits their ability to earn a college degree. But, what we know – what we see each and every day at UMSL – is that financial need does not define academic potential.

Our university unapologetically serves students of all backgrounds, circumstances and abilities. If there’s a drive to learn, a desire to grow and a determination to put in the hard work, then UMSL is here.

As part of our mission to transform lives through higher education, UMSL recently established the Close the Gap Grant to ensure that the promise of a college degree is within reach at the region’s premier public research university. This full financial access grant program will benefit new undergraduate students with high financial need from across the state of Missouri as well as select Illinois counties in the metro region beginning spring 2022. 

Through the grant, UMSL will cover all remaining tuition costs above federal Pell Grants, subsidized loans and other aid. What this means is that more students from our region and beyond can confidently pursue an accessible, world-class UMSL education while completing their degrees with significantly less debt.

More than any institution in this region, perhaps in all of Missouri, UMSL truly does transform lives. UMSL is one of the most diverse universities in the state reflecting our regional demographics – and we graduate the most diverse workforce in the state. In fact, our student retention and graduation rates lead the nation as compared to other urban public institutions serving students of similar demographics.

Given that 75% of UMSL graduates remain in the region to live and work, our new Close the Gap Grant will undoubtedly enhance the future St. Louis workforce. Students today will become our region’s nurses, teachers, engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, social workers, information technologists and much, much more. It’s time to double down on rising up St. Louis through education. UMSL is here for it.

Gratefully forward,

Kristin

BY KRISTIN SOBOLIK
CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI–ST. LOUIS

Our university unapologetically serves students of all backgrounds, circumstances and abilities