How SEMO’s Sikeston campus supports local students

There comes a time in life when individuals must decide where to attend college if they want to pursue higher education. For most students, this means leaving home to follow their dreams. However, that’s not always the case for those who attend Southeast Missouri State University’s Sikeston Regional Campus. With accessible programs and local support, the campus encourages students to pursue their degrees while staying close to home.

The regional campus offers local students a way to get a higher education without leaving home, benefiting from accessible programs and local support. Shantone 'Shan' Howard, the Regional Campus Director at SEMO, emphasized the supportive environment the Sikeston Regional Campus provides for students.

Sikeston Regional Campus Building.Photo from web SEMO Gallery

“There are benefits for all students, depending on what campus they are at. But I do think our students feel at home here,” Howard said.

The Sikeston Regional Campus consists of a single building that houses 25 different majors. Some students take all their classes at Sikeston, while others split their time between the main and regional campuses.

“Sometimes they have a difficult time wanting to transition because they are attached to the students here. They're attached to the staff and faculty here, but they do well when they get to Cape, and it is just a stepping stone for some students,” Howard said.

In Fall 2024, 71 students enrolled as beginning freshmen at the Sikeston regional campus. 57 of 71 took courses only at Sikeston, while 14 enrolled in both Sikeston courses and online or at the Cape Girardeau campus.

For the spring 2025 semester, 75 students are enrolled solely at Sikeston, while 73 take a combination of classes at both locations, bringing the total number of Sikeston students to 148, including online and in-person students.

Students enrolled as beginning freshmen at Sikeston are primarily from the following counties: Scott, Cape Girardeau and Stoddard. In contrast, students enrolled as beginning freshmen on the main campus are from 50 Missouri counties as well as 26 states and 18 foreign countries.

Students in Sikeston Regional Campus Anatomy and Physiology lab.Photo submited by Sikeston Marketing

Former regional campus student Shelby Mayabb began her college journey at the Sikeston campus as an exceptional childhood education major before transitioning to the main campus in Cape Girardeau to pursue a minor in communication disorders.

“If I could have stayed at Sikeston, I definitely would have. But I started out at Sikeston because it was just closer to home. I still live in Sikeston, so it takes me about an hour, sometimes longer depending on traffic, to get to the Cape campus,” Mayabb said.

SEMO’s main campus in Cape Girardeau spans multiple buildings, each dedicated to different departments, resources and student activities.

“I think there is something special about the Sikeston SEMO campus,” Mayabb said. “It just feels a little “homeyer” there's not as many of us, and everything is the same building.”

Despite the regional campus’s distance from the main campus, students are invited to participate in events and have access to all main campus resources.

“If they want to go to the rec center, they're able to go to the rec center. They're able to take advantage of sporting events like any other SEMO student,” Howard said.

Students watch a presentation in a Sikeston Regional Campus classroom.Photo from web SEMO Gallery

Cost and the A+ Scholarship

Another major factor that draws students to the Sikeston campus is affordability and eligibility for the A+ Scholarship Program. This state-funded, merit-based scholarship covers tuition for graduates of A+ designated high schools who attend participating public community colleges, vocational schools or certain private two-year institutions.

General management student Cam Schlosser said the scholarship played a significant role in his decision to attend the regional campus as an undergraduate to study business administration with a minor in finance.

“The A+ program helped me pay for the majority of my education here at Sikeston,” Schlosser said.

The tuition rate at the regional campuses is $214.96 per credit hour, which is $115.13 less than the main campus tuition of $330.09 per credit hour. This cost difference makes the regional campus an economical choice for students looking to save money while earning their degree.

“They have a higher rate at the main campus, and with me being the business-minded person I am, I was just thinking to myself, ‘What would be more economically sustainable?’ So I went with the regional campus,” Schlosser said.

For many students, attending college means leaving home. But at SEMO’s Sikeston Regional Campus, that’s not always necessary. With financial support like the A+ Scholarship, small class sizes, and a close-knit atmosphere, students can take their first steps toward a degree while staying in their community.