UMSL’s Finish Your Degree Scholarship, which assists seniors who would be unable to return to school because of depleted financial aid, was the focus of Friday’s Ladue News cover story. (Photo by August Jennewein)

Just before his last semester at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, James Bragado had a tough decision to make.

Should he drop out before finishing his final few credits? Or should he get a full-time job while studying to compensate for the financial aid he could no longer receive due to credit limits?

Luckily, there was a third option: UMSL’s Finish Your Degree Scholarship.

The degree completion program provides deserving students with financial burdens the means to graduate. It is far-reaching with the goal of helping as many students as possible cross the education finish line.

The unique scholarship gained attention from Ladue News Friday as the weekly paper’s cover story.

The article follows Bragado, now the UMSL manager of annual giving, and Patrick Gadell, an alumnus who helped establish the Finish Your Degree Scholarship.

“UMSL gave me the chance to succeed and find out who I am, what my interests and strengths are, and prepared me for a career,” Bragado told Ladue News. “At UMSL, I got an affordable, quality education that helped me to realize my potential.”

Read the full story online here or pick up a printed copy, which also features Optometry Professor Carl Bassi’s research on Callaway’s Triple Track golf ball.