Wichita State to award 20 scholarships worth up to $20,000 to new students

Incoming freshmen and transfer students have an opportunity to receive up to $20,000 as part of Wichita State University’s new Shocker Adelante Scholarship.

The scholarship is part of the $1 million gift from Gene and Yolanda Camarena, which was announced earlier this year. Adelante, which translates to forward in Spanish, is available to students with a 3.0 GPA or higher. A total of 20 Adelante Scholars will be selected, and preference will be given to African American and Latinx students.

“The Adelante Scholarship is a solid example of Wichita State’s commitment to making education affordable, accessible and impactful,” said Dr. Rick Muma, interim president of Wichita State. “We’re thankful for the generosity of the Camarena family. It is through these types of initiatives that we build upon our value of creating an inclusive and diverse Shocker Nation.”

Students awarded the scholarship will receive between $8,000 and $20,000 for freshmen or between $4,000 and $10,000 for transfer students. Awards are smaller for transfer students because those students will complete their degrees in less time than a freshman. Undocumented students are also eligible to apply. 

Students interested in applying for the Adelante Scholarship need to apply for both the scholarship and admission to the university by Dec. 1.


Wichita State University serves as the Kansas urban-based research university, enrolling more than 15,000 students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

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