In a groundbreaking move to enhance access to higher education, Morningside University has announced the Siouxland Proud, Mside Bound Initiative for Fall 2025. This initiative will provide full tuition coverage for up to 100 new first-time, full-time residential undergraduate students who live and/or attend a school district from select counties in the Siouxland region.

“Increasing access and opportunity for students in the region we call home is a top priority for us. Often, the students and families from this area who choose Morningside are the same fans and supporters already attending events and making our campus community more vibrant. We want those relationships to continue to flourish, and this initiative helps ensure that students and families here in the tri-state area understand that being a private university doesn’t mean attending Morningside is financially out of reach,” said Dr. Erin Edlund, chief of staff and vice president for university engagement at Morningside.

The Siouxland Proud, Mside Bound Initiative reflects Morningside’s commitment to being a valued regional resource and will be offered to two students from 22 counties in Iowa, 16 counties in Nebraska, and six counties in South Dakota. Additionally, four students from Woodbury County, Iowa; four students from Dakota County, Nebraska; and four students from Union County, South Dakota, will be selected to receive full-tuition coverage.

To qualify for the program, students must live in and/or attend a school district in one of the counties listed, apply and be admitted to Morningside for the 2025-2026 academic year, complete and submit their FAFSA information to Mside by Jan. 31, 2025, be Pell-eligible, complete an interest form for the initiative, and plan to live on-campus. A selection committee will assess applications based on academic and financial criteria, with announcements made to successful candidates by mid-February.

President of Morningside University, Dr. Albert Mosley, expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative, stating, “This program reaffirms our commitment to serving the Siouxland area by increasing accessibility to higher education, which continues to be the best way to a more prosperous future. We are excited to support students in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota in achieving their goals during and after college.”

The counties included in the program are:
Iowa: Audubon, Buena Vista, Calhoun, Carroll, Cherokee, Clay, Crawford, Dickinson, Emmet, Harrison, Ida, Lyon, Monona, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Pottawattamie, Sac, Shelby, Sioux, Woodbury (4 students)
Nebraska: Antelope, Boone, Burt, Cedar, Colfax, Cumming, Dakota (4 students), Dixon, Dodge, Knox, Madison, Pierce, Platte, Stanton, Thurston, Washington, Wayne
South Dakota: Bon Homme, Clay, Hutchinson, Lincoln, Turner, Union (4 students), Yankton

The initiative is an extension of the existing Access to Mside program. All applicants for Siouxland Proud, Mside Bound will also automatically qualify for Access to Mside. This program guarantees a minimum award package of $25,000 for new residential students (commuters receive $19,000). Pell-eligible residential students from Iowa receive a minimum of $38,000 (commuters receive $32,000), while Pell-eligible students from Nebraska and South Dakota receive $34,000 (commuters receive $28,000). Access to Mside is not available for students considering online or graduate programs, or students who are part-time.