Bigger scholarships, more awards than ever before at Wichita State University
Beginning with the class of 2027, more students will be able to see a Wichita State education as a possibility thanks to $218,000 in new scholarship opportunities available through Wichita State’s annual scholarship competitions.
Recent additions and increases mean there are now more awards than ever before for students who participate in these prestigious events – beginning with the Distinguished Scholarship Invitational (DSI). Open to all incoming majors, DSI awards some of the largest annual undergraduate scholarships in the region, including the newly-increased Harry Gore Memorial Scholarships – three $80,000 awards over four years. In addition, DSI will also award the newly added Richard D. Smith Scholarship – one $80,000 award over four years. These enhancements join an already impressive portfolio of scholarships awarded through DSI including the Mike and Mary James Scholarship, the Mark and Stacy Parkinson Scholarship, as well as thousands of dollars in additional awards available to finalists and semifinalists.
Along with DSI, Wichita State also hosts prominent competitions for students pursuing business and engineering degrees. Two brand new scholarships have been added to the Allen, Gibbs & Houlik (AGH) Scholarship Competition through the Barton School of Business. These are the Ross Tidemann Scholarship – $50,000 over four years, and the Harry Najim Scholarship – $40,000 over four years (open to students graduating from a Kansas high school). These additions join the $50,000 Clay Barton Scholarship and two $36,400 Fran Jabara Scholarships (open to entrepreneurship majors) awarded through AGH competition.
Engineering majors can participate in the Wallace Invitational for Scholarships in Engineering (WISE), which awards ten $30,500 scholarships annually.
For a prospective student, scholarship events like DSI can become a sliding-doors moment: the point when Wichita State shifts from being one option among many to a future they can envision and afford. Prospective students meet faculty, alumni, donors and former scholarship recipients who demonstrate, often before a student has even enrolled, that Wichita State is a place invested in their success. The philanthropic support behind scholarships helps create that moment. It removes financial barriers while giving students the freedom to consider not simply whether they can attend college, but what they might accomplish once they arrive.
“Wichita State University was so high on my list when considering colleges because of the incredible scholarship opportunities it provides for students,” Chloe Strecker, 2024 Gore Scholar, said. “Going into the Distinguished Scholarship Invitational, I didn’t think I would make it very far, much less be named a Gore Scholar. Through DSI, I was blessed with a large scholarship to cover my tuition, plus it allowed me to meet so many like-minded students who are not only involved and driven, but who are also now scholars across campus.”
This year, DSI will award $850,000 to incoming freshmen over the competition weekend, providing hundreds of opportunities for talented students to imagine themselves at Wichita State and reflecting a growing commitment from donors who believe financial circumstances should not determine the limits of a student’s potential.
“The top reason an interested student cites when not selecting Wichita State as their college destination is financial in nature, that they really want to be a Shocker but they have to hold out hope elsewhere for a larger aid package,” Bobby Gandu, Wichita State’s Associate Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Initiatives, said. “For a student to attend DSI, and meet former recipients, the donors who made the scholarship possible, and the sheer number of volunteers investing their time to support the process, are incredibly important in our ability to recruit talented individuals to our campus.”
This year’s competition will showcase that reality to an expanded level due to increased support by individuals who see the value in removing financial barriers for a student.
“One of the most rewarding parts of this work is hearing stories about how Wichita State shaped someone’s life, and now they want to pay it forward,” Telly McGaha, Wichita State Foundation President and CEO, said. “That gives me tremendous confidence in the value people see in Wichita State.”
These expanded scholarship opportunities send a powerful message to students and families: Wichita State is committed to making education affordable and accessible. Thanks to support from donors, alumni, industry partners and more, students will have the opportunity to focus on learning, experiential opportunities, and career preparation rather than worrying about how to pay for college.
This year’s Distinguished Scholarship Invitational is Saturday, Nov. 21 on Wichita State’s campus. The AGH and WISE competitions will take place the day before, on Friday, Nov. 20. Eligible students are encouraged to participate in multiple competitions to maximize their award opportunities.
About the Distinguished Scholarship Invitational
The Distinguished Scholarship Invitational is one of Wichita State University’s premier scholarship competitions, connecting outstanding students with competitive scholarship opportunities made possible through the generosity of donors and scholarship partners. Through these awards, Wichita State helps remove financial barriers and expand access to higher education while supporting the next generation of innovators, leaders and changemakers.
