Briar Cliff receives MRHD grant for scholarships

Missouri River Historical Development Inc., (MRHD) awarded a total of $300,000 to four local colleges during an award ceremony Feb. 20 at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Sioux City. Briar Cliff University, Morningside University, St. Luke’s College, and Western Iowa Tech Community College each received $75,000 to administer MRHD Scholarship Grants during the 2025-26 academic year.

The purpose of the MRHD Scholarship Grant program is to provide local colleges funding to support students with a scholarship of up to $5,000 per student. MRHD requires recipients of these scholarships to have graduated from a public or private high school in Woodbury County and allows colleges to consider factors such as grade point average and those with the greatest financial need.
 
“As we embark on another year of supporting our community's future leaders, it is a privilege to announce our annual scholarship grant to local colleges,” says Sarah Kleber, President of the MRHD Board of Directors.
 

BCU students and reps received $75,000 from MHRD

“MRHD is deeply committed to fostering academic success and empowering students to achieve their educational goals. By investing in their potential today, we are investing in a brighter tomorrow for our entire community. Together, we are shaping the next generation of innovators, thinkers, and changemakers,” says Kleber.
 
Nearly 40 people attended the event. Past recipients of MRHD’s scholarship grant and leaders from each of the local colleges spoke about how the funding has impacted their lives and organization.
 
MRHD is the non-profit Qualified Sponsoring Organization (QSO) that holds the license for casino gaming in Woodbury County and receives funding from an agreement with Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Sioux City. Under Iowa law, a percentage of the casino’s gaming revenues is allocated to MRHD for community development.
 
Since 1989, MRHD has invested more than $58,000,000 into the Siouxland community through grants funded by casino gaming revenue. Through its scholarship grants, MRHD has awarded nearly $3,000,000 for deserving students to pursue higher education at local colleges in Woodbury County.