LPS employees now have a scholarship with Cameron University

LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - Cameron University has a new partnership with the Lawton Public School Foundation. The university is now offering scholarships to LPS employees, to help further their education. This partnership is meant to help all LPS employees, including support staff, emergency certified teachers, and teachers wanting to earn a master’s degree.

Scholarships available to attend Cameron University range from $500 to $1,500, depending on the number of class hours and classifications that the employee needs.

Lisa Carson, the Executive Director of the Lawton Public School Foundation and a retired Principal for Lawton Public Schools, said oftentimes employees don’t have the money to go back to school.

“Support staff, but maybe a teacher assistant or maybe a cook, or maybe a custodian that was in my building that was just amazing with kids. And often times, I would say why do you not go back to school to get your teaching certificate? And almost every time it was the same response, I can’t financially do that,” Carson said.

Jennifer Dennis Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies said the university was approached about the program a month ago.

“And the conversation evolved, and here we are. The board voted to give us a $10,000 donation and Cameron University was very pleased with that, and we decided to put an additional $20,000 tuition waivers with those funds in order to be able to help Lawton public school teachers,” Dennis said.

Dennis said Cameron University is aware of the teacher shortage in Oklahoma. She said one way this program will help that shortage is by helping support staff, like bus drivers and custodians, become teachers.

“Well part of our mission at Cameron is to support Southwest Oklahoma and to help create teachers for southwest Oklahoma, so we’re doing that through this program and are very pleased that the LPS foundation reached out to us with this gift so that we can help more teachers in Lawton public schools,” Dennis said.

Employees must be admitted and enrolled for the Fall 2022 semester. The deadline to apply for the scholarship is August 22nd.

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