Rows of tables lined the academic hallway on September 23 as students flocked to find which college would work best for their personal needs. Names preceded bigger colleges while smaller ones struggled to gain attention from Seward’s December graduates and transfers. 

With the deadline quickly approaching for graduate petitions being October 3, students must find where to transfer next. Where to go from here? The transfer fair offered much information from surrounding colleges. 

Big universities attended and attracted many students including Kansas State University and the University of Kansas. Although they had similar offerings of many colleges, a few differences can stand out for a graduate. 

One thing that Kansas State University offers that would appeal to community college students and small-town students is that their classes are smaller than most universities. Dylan Holt, the admissions representative at KSU, came from Liberal himself and said K-State offers the best of both worlds. 

“It is a large school, but the classes are very small. There are only about fifteen to thirty students in each class. It has a big school atmosphere to it though. Manhattan is the same way. It’s a bigger town, but it has a small-town feel to it,” Holt said. 

Tuition for in-state residents is 11,500 and 27,600 for out-of-state students which does not include room and board. The university does offer multiple scholarships though based on GPA starting at $1,000 a year for 3.25 students and up to $5,500 a year for 3.95+ students. Out-of-state students have multiple options for scholarships as well. Competitive awards are also available with the deadline for the spring semester quickly approaching to apply by December 15. 

Something Holt specifically noted for certain majors was that K-state has directed its attention more to pre-professional majors such as pre-law and pre-med. It is also the 8th oldest vet school in the nation. 

All around, K-State has a 95% placement rate with over 250 majors offered and 80% of students receive financial assistance of some sort. It is a top ten career services school in the United States according to “Princeton Review” and was named the number one college in Kansas by “Niche” in 2021. 

Tuition at the University of Kansas is a tad lower than Kansas State University at $11,200 for in-state residents but higher for out-of-state students at $28,000. It also bases its scholarships on GPA with 3.25 in-state students receiving $1,250 a year and 3.5+ in-state students receiving $2,000 a year. December graduates must apply before November 1 to be eligible for other competitive scholarships. 

Something special KU offers that admissions representative Elyse Adame noted was their study abroad program. Students can go for a full semester or just a week with no extra charge. KU also gives scholarships for food and living expenses while abroad. 

“This is appealing to our small-town students as many want to travel and see sights outside of their small town. It’s a unique opportunity,” Adame said. 

Smaller state colleges were also in attendance at the fair such as Emporia State and Wichita State. Both colleges also offered merit based scholarships although Emporia does have a separate scholarship based on ACT scores. 

Emporia offers students with a 3.75+ GPA $1,950 while a 3.0 GPA $850. Their tuition not including room and board is $6,934 for in-state residents and $14,852 for out-of-state students. 

Something special that stands out financially wise is Emporia offers flat-rate tuition after 12 hours. This means the in-state 18 hour student would pay the same tuition as a 12 hours student. Out-of-state tuition would be the same concept. Because of this offer, Emporia State has the lowest student debt in Kansas. 

Teresa Fry, Emporia’s transfer student recruiter, commented that the college, “Is the perfect transfer because it’s not too big or too small. The community is also very accepting of the college which helps for a warm welcome to any transferring students.” 

ESU has multiple internship opportunities as well with 70% of their students participating in some form of internship. This helps students have a 95% career outcome rate in the last four years.

Wichita State tuition is slightly lower starting at $6,842 for in-state students and $16,208 for out-of-state. Their scholarships are higher as well at $2,000 for 3.25+ GPA students and $3,000 for 3.5+ GPA students. 

Jason Bilberry, WSU’s admissions representative, comments that, “Wichita State is dedicated to providing opportunities for students to apply their learning to real-world work. Over 2,000 students last semester have been given on-campus jobs related to their major.”

Related to specific majors, Wichita has the oldest engineering aerospace program and the fastest growing program in filmmaking. The program is 40 years old which Bilberry said has helped the college form strong relationships with the community. 

Manhattan Christian College presented unique opportunities for SCCC students interested in a more religious education. The college partners with K-State to offer dual degree options. Students are able to obtain a degree through K-State while also receiving a Bible degree in majors such as youth, children’s, and pastoral ministry. 

Student athletes are welcome gladly to MCC says Jeff Butler, the admission counselor, as their volleyball, cross country, soccer, and basketball teams are all nationally recognized for both men and women. Butler said MCC strives to make sure their student athletes feel at home and comfortable on campus. 

Full-time tuition is $17,014 for all students, but the college does offer merit based scholarships as well to combat the high cost of tuition. Students must complete the application by December 1 in order to be considered for the $500-$2,000 dollar scholarships. They also offer academic awards of up to $4,000.

With deadlines quickly approaching for SCCC December graduates, universities and smaller colleges alike all strive, either through internships or financial aid, to make the process easier.