Groceries to Graduate Scholarship Program 1

Reflection on the Groceries to Graduate Scholarship Program at Missouri Southern State

University

Megan L. Bever, PhD*1, Kamryn Colburn2, Andrea N. Cullers, PhD, RD3, Amber A. Carr,

MLS4, and J. P. Rutledge5

1
Associate Professor and Chair, Social Science Department, Missouri Southern State University.

Email: bever-m@mssu.edu. 3950 E Newman Rd., Joplin, MO, 64801, USA.

2
Lion Co-op Center for Nutrition Security Intern at Missouri Southern State University. Kamryn

Colburn is now the Event Coordinator at Chances of Hope ISL.

Email: kcolburn@chancesofhopeisl.com (please do not publish). 3950 E Newman Rd., Joplin,

MO, 64801, USA. Present Address: 608 Walnut Ridge Dr., Joplin MO, 64801, USA.
3
Associate Professor and Chair, Kinesiology Department, Missouri Southern State University.

Email: cullers-a@mssu.edu. 3950 E Newman Rd., Joplin, MO, 64801, USA.

4
Assistant Library Director, Spiva Library, Missouri Southern State University. Email: carr-

a@mssu.edu. 3950 E Newman Rd., Joplin, MO, 64801, USA.

5
Lion Co-op Center for Nutrition Security Intern at Missouri Southern State University. Email:

rutledgej002@mymail.mssu.edu. 3950 E Newman Rd., Joplin, MO, 64801, USA.

Groceries to Graduate Scholarship Program 1

Author Note

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Megan Bever, Social

Science Department, College of Arts & Sciences, Missouri Southern State University, 3950 E

Newman Rd., Joplin, MO, 64801, USA. Phone: 417-625-3026. Email: bever-m@mssu.edu

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge individuals at MSSU for their assistance with this

program: Becca Diskin, Director of Financial Aid; Alicia Hughes, Bursar; Elizabeth Ebert,

Foundation Business Manager; Josie Welsh, former Director of Institutional Effectiveness;

Associate Vice-President Kevin Greim; Deans Marsi Archer and Lorinda Hackett, and Lisa

Toms, Provost. Rachael Lynch, Market Manager at Webb City Farmers Market, has facilitated

the scholarship program’s token usage.

Funding Disclosure

This scholarship project is supported by grant funding from the W. R. Corley Memorial

Trust and the Missouri Scholarship and Loan Foundation. The Lion Co-op Center for Nutrition

Security operates through the Missouri Southern State University Foundation.

Groceries to Graduate Scholarship Program 2

Abstract

In 2018, three professors at Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) launched the Lion Co-

op Center for Nutrition Security, a free food and personal hygiene pantry available to all MSSU

students, faculty, and staff. In the fall semester of 2020, the Co-op piloted the Groceries to

Graduate (G2G) scholarship program. The Co-op partnered with the Webb City Farmers Market,

located three miles north of the MSSU campus, to provide $320 scholarship tokens, which could

be exchanged for goods at the Farmers Market, to advanced undergraduate students with good

standing and financial need. Seven students participated in the pilot program. Unfortunately,

many of the students neither picked up all their tokens nor filled out the exit survey. All seven

students in the pilot program successfully graduated. The Co-op modified the G2G scholarship

program in the second year by limiting scholarships to $200. The MSSU Financial Aid Office

gave out the scholarships in four, sequential, monthly token disbursements. Academic advisors

notified eligible students about the scholarships and G2G informational fliers around campus

contained information regarding the scholarship program. In total, the Lion Co-op awarded 37

scholarships in the second year. Monthly token usage reports from the Farmers Market showed

that students spent more tokens at the Farmers Market than students in the pilot year. The Co-op

invited G2G scholarship recipients to participate in two focus groups at the end of the 2021-2022

academic year. Moving forward, the Co-op hopes to expand recruitment/informational efforts

across campus through a relationship-building strategy. In addition to the Farmers Market, the

Co-op will seek out new partners willing to take part in the scholarship program. The Co-op’s

goal is for the G2G scholarships to help increase graduation rates by making grocery buying less

expensive for MSSU students.

Groceries to Graduate Scholarship Program 2

Keywords: Groceries, Graduate, Scholarship, Token, Farmers Market, Nutrition, Food

Pantry