Riverland Community College will offer a new scholarship for up to 32 Steele County students thanks to a new grant.

St. Paul-based Otto Bremer Foundation recently awarded $200,000 to Riverland as part of an overall $1.9 million round of grants to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system.

The grant will be used for the Finish Line Scholarship Program, which targets underrepresented students who face financial, academic and other struggles as they try to realize their educational goals. That includes students of color, low-income students and those whose parents did not attend college.

“This is fantastic news,” Riverland President Adenuga Atewologun, said in a press release. “We are grateful to the Otto Bremer Foundation for this grant opportunity. Important public/private partnerships like this enable us to meet the region’s workforce needs and prepare our residents for gainful employment and careers in the 21st century. Specifically, this grant will provide targeted opportunities for post-secondary education and improve quality of life for all, especially the more vulnerable among us. Riverland is better able to fulfill its mission to ‘inspire personal success through education’ and contribute to the growth and sustainability of our communities.”

Riverland officials say students who live in Steele County can apply by Nov. 1 for the Finish Line grant, which will award students with $2,500 for spring semester. Based on the student’s grades and academic progress, scholarship winners could receive another $2,500 for the following fall semester.