If you'd like to go back to college, but aren't sure whether you can afford it, Wichita State University might be able to help. Starting in fall 2012, Wichita State will offer qualified returning adult students an opportunity to receive $1,250 scholarships for tuition each semester for four semesters, a total of $5,000.

Thanks to Bernard Osher, a patron of education and the arts who started the Bernard Osher Foundation in 1977, WSU will offer $50,000 in scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic year. Wichita State is the first university to offer Osher Reentry Scholarships in Kansas.

The fall priority deadline is July 1. The fall final deadline is Aug. 1.

The Osher Reentry Scholarship Program was initiated to provide scholarship support for students pursuing their first baccalaureate degree after a cumulative five-year break or more in the studies. Currently, there are 86 universities and colleges in 47 states participating in this scholarship program.

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must:

1. Preferably be between 25 and 50 years old at time of application
2. Be an admitted WSU student pursuing your first bachelor's degree
3. Have experienced a cumulative gap in your education of at least five years
4. Demonstrate financial need (applicants must complete and file a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and submit a copy of the Student Aid Report)
5. Illustrate potential for academic success by maintaining at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA in all coursework
6. Show academic promise and commitment to obtaining a degree

For more information on the scholarship or on how to apply, go to www.wichita.edu/osher or call (316) 978-8325.