News Highlights

Bob Erickson rides again to help part-time students

In Mankato Sept. 10

Trustee Emeritus Bob Erickson rode to Mankato Monday, Sept. 10, as part of his annual 2,300-mile ride across the state to raise scholarship funds for part-time students.

2007-09-12
By Robb Murray, Free Press Staff Writer [published in The Free Press, Mankato, MN, 9/9/2007]

The man who raises money for the students' financial aid is making his sixth fundraising bicycle trek across the state, and he’ll be in Mankato Monday.

Before he’s done with this year’s “Scholarship Challenge,” Trustee Emeritus Bob Erickson will ride to all 53 of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system cam­puses. He will be at South Central College Monday morn­ing, and at Minnesota State University in the afternoon.

As always, Erickson chal­lenges faculty and staff to ride with him, and as always, a handful of local faculty, staff and a few students join Erickson for part of his trip. This year, a group is slated to ride about 40 miles with Erickson.

To date, Erickson’s rides have raised more than $303,000 and have provided scholarships to 225 students.

“Raising scholarship funds for part-time students is so important that I felt compelled to do another ride,” Erickson, 61, said in a statement before starting this year’s ride. “Part­time students often are not eli­gible for scholarships, and the financial aid formula does not treat them fairly. I have long advocated for the state to change its funding formula so part-time students get a fair shake.”

A large portion of the stu­dents in the MnSCU system are going to school part time. They’re juggling school, jobs and family in an effort to better themselves through higher education.

Erickson is a former trustee and chair of the finance and facilities commit­tee of the MnSCU board. He also served as senior vice president for finance and operations for the University of Minnesota from 1991 to 1995, and worked as a senior executive for SuperValu for 16 years.

He started his latest bicycle tour of the state — a 2,300­mile trek — last month. Since launching the annual ride, he’s logged more than 11,000 miles, and has personally funded all trips.

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