University of Missouri–St. Louis Chancellor Kristin Sobolik shakes hands with Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri CEO Natissia Small after signing an educational partnership agreement on Tuesday at the Millennium Student Center. (Photos by Derik Holtmann)

The University of Missouri–St. Louis is working with Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri to increase access to higher education and support students looking to enhance their futures by earning college degrees.

Under a new partnership agreement, the university will provide $5,250 Gold Scholarships to Girl Scouts who enroll full-time as first-time freshmen beginning in the 2025-26 academic year. UMSL will also offer last dollar scholarship awards to Girl Scouts who have received the GSEM Changemaker Scholarship or the GSUSA Gold Award.

As part of its commitment to supporting adult education, UMSL will provide a 15% tuition reduction to GSEM staff members who enroll part-time in undergraduate and graduate programs at the university.

All students connected with Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri will also have access to support services as they make progress toward their degrees.

UMSL Chancellor Kristin Sobolik and Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri CEO Natissia Small were joined by members of their teams, including Vice Chancellor Reggie Hill (at left) who worked on and will support a new educational partnership agreement between the university and Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri.

Chancellor Kristin Sobolik joined Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri CEO Natissia Small at a signing ceremony to finalize the three-year agreement on Tuesday in the third-floor rotunda of UMSL’s Millennium Student Center. It marked a return to campus for Small, who holds three degrees from UMSL and spent nearly 28 years working at the university, most recently as vice provost for access, academic support and workforce integration.

“We are so pleased to be partnering with Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri and working with Natissia and her team to support girls as they pursue their educational goals and position themselves for success in their futures,” Sobolik said. “We know how passionate Natissia is about ensuring young people gain the tools and experiences they need to realize their full potential, and we hope this agreement will help Girl Scouts recognize and take advantage of all the opportunities we can offer them at UMSL.”

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri serves more than 36,000 girls and volunteers combined in 28 counties across the eastern half of the state. Those who choose to enroll at UMSL will have the chance to pursue more that 50 bachelor’s degree programs, from STEM fields and humanities to business, education, nursing and social work.

The partnership clearly demonstrates a shared commitment from both organizations to support young adults from across the state in their educational journeys.

“I am thrilled to establish an educational partnership with the University of Missouri–St. Louis to extend amazing educational and scholarship opportunities to eastern Missouri Girl Scouts and our staff,” Small said.  “Education is the cornerstone of empowerment and this collaboration with UMSL signifies a pivotal step forward in our commitment to ensuring that Girl Scouts and staff are well equipped to become confident leaders that contribute to the global workforce and achieve lifelong success. UMSL’s commitment to accessibility and community engagement aligns seamlessly with the mission of Girl Scouts to make the world a better place.”

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri will help identify students who would be a good fit for UMSL and meet the university’s selective admissions requirements. The organization will initiate contact with the university and connect students to UMSL admissions representatives.

UMSL, meanwhile, will send an admission representative to college events and activities for GSEM members and host Girl Scouts and their families for an annual personalized visit day. The university will waive its application fee for the Girl Scouts who apply.

Once GSEM members are enrolled at the university, they will be assigned a success coach in the Office of University Student Support, who will serve as their primary support contact and meet monthly to gauge how they’re doing on campus. They will also be assigned an academic advisor and have access to resources for tutoring, professional development workshops, academic support services, cultural enrichment and mentorship.

GSEM staff members will work closely with UMSL support staff to monitor their academic progress and social well-being and help ensure they are making satisfactory progress toward their degrees.

UMSL also aims to develop an Esports program in partnership with Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri for interested members.