The Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance has awarded two of its five 2020 Student Excellence Awards to NDSU graduate students. Kristina Schule, who is from Stamford, Connecticut, and Piper Jensen, whose hometown is Shorewood, Minnesota, each earned $1,000 to use toward their online studies.

Schule is earning her master’s degree in family and consumer sciences education. NDSU is one of six universities that contribute faculty and courses to offer the FCS education program together.

Jensen is working towards a master’s degree in merchandising. NDSU is one of five universities collaborating to offer the merchandising program online.

To qualify for a Student Excellence Award, students need to be attaining a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or certificate in a Great Plains IDEA degree program from a Great Plains IDEA member university. The alliance’s governing cabinet reviewed applications and granted the awards.

A total of 19 regionally-accredited universities are members of Great Plains IDEA. In various combinations, universities together offer nine human sciences and nine agriculture programs online.

As a student-focused, land-grant, research university, we serve our citizens.