CLEVELAND, Miss. — Delta State University’s program for high school students, the DSU Rising Scholars Program, will hold an informational meeting for parents at 5:30 p.m. on October 17 in the Jacobs Conference Center in Ewing Hall on the DSU campus.
Program Coordinator Latasha Rogers, DSU President, Dr. Dan Ennis, Director of Undergraduate Admissions Ashley Tanksley and Dean of Graduate and Honors Studies Dr. James Gerald will speak to the parents to give them details about the program, the purpose of which is to provide scholarships to high school students to cover college courses and fees while still in high school.
Rogers said, “The ultimate goal is to improve the chances of high school students being able to attend college, graduate sooner, and start their career.”
Unlike the traditional dual enrollment program, Rising Scholars affords exceptional students the opportunity to take college classes, including general education courses and courses directly related to students’ respective majors. For students to be considered for the scholarship program, they must be a rising junior or senior, possess a minimum 3.5 G.P.A., earn a 21 composite score or better on the ACT as well as have a 21 sub-score in the areas related to the courses they want to take. The application process requires both a Dual Enrollment and a Rising Scholars application, and a letter of recommendation from either a counselor or principal.
Rogers said, “Rising Scholars currently serves junior and senior high school students from six schools from both private and public school districts: Cleveland Central High School, Bayou Academy, Greenville High School, St. Joseph Catholic School, Pillow Academy, and Hernando High School.”
Rogers said that the program arose from the necessity to keep top students in Mississippi. “There are literally thousands of gifted and talented young people all across this great state who don’t always receive opportunities like those that Delta State University has to offer with the Rising Scholars Program,” she said. “Oftentimes, once some students become college educated, they move away to other states, work in those states, and contribute to those states’ communities and economies. Delta State University aims to remedy that problem and I expect our program to retain as many high-performing scholars as possible, thereby making Mississippi even greater.”
For more information about the Rising Scholars program, or to rsvp for the meeting, students and their parents can visit the program’s website at https://www.deltastate.edu/graduate-and-continuing-studies/rising-scholars/ or contact Latasha Rodgers at lrodgers@deltastate.edu or call 662-846-4872.
