Scholarship challenge bike tour arrives

-- Jordan Ziebarth

Biking from Century College in White Bear Lake, Robert Erickson, 60, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) Trustee Emeritus, arrived Sept. 8 at Metropolitan State University on one of his scheduled stops on the 2006 Scholarship Challenge Bike Tour. Erickson is raising money and public support for part-time college students attending MnSCU colleges and universities by biking to each of the 53 campuses in the MnSCU system.

Also completing a portion of the ride with Erickson is Tim Dunsworth, Research Analysis Specialist at Metropolitan State University. This is the fifth year Erickson has made the 2,300-mile journey, which includes a loop through northern, metropolitan and southwestern Minnesota.

While at Metropolitan State University, Erickson met with President Wilson Bradshaw and Student Senate President Chad Hendrickson to discuss part-time student enrollment. They also discussed issues unique to part-time students, including qualifying for financial aid and balancing classes with full-time jobs and families.

The 2006 Scholarship Challenge Bike Tour will end at Normandale Community College on Sept. 21.

This year, Erickson hopes to raise $300,000 for part-time students, who represent about 40 percent of all MnSCU students.

The MnSCU system comprises 32 state universities and community and technical colleges serving the higher education needs of Minnesota. The system serves about 240,000 students per year in credit-based courses and an additional 130,000 students in non-credit courses.

For more information on the tour or to make a donation, visit the MnSCU website at http://www.mnscu.edu.