Kansas Student Grants for College

Grant Money Is Easier Than You Thought

The state of Kansas has designated the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) as the state agency responsible for managing the financial aid offered to Kansas students seeking post-secondary education. Kansas provides not only grants but also scholarships and other tuition assistance programs, collected on this page.

Grants From the State of Kansas

Kansas currently sponsors two grant programs, discussed below.

Kansas Comprehensive Grant

The Kansas Comprehensive Grant helps students with financial need who attend any of the schools approved by KBOR, which include 18 private schools, all six state universities, and Washburn University (founded by the Congregationalist Church in 1865). To apply, you are required to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which serves as a complete financial profile for your household and is used to determine the amount of your financial need.

It is recommended that you apply before April 1 of every year, in order to receive priority. There is limited funding available for the Kansas Comprehensive Grant, hence the deadline. Only one-third of eligible students benefit from the program, grants from which vary between $200 and $3,500 at private schools and $100 to $1,500 at public schools.

Career Technical Workforce Grant

The Career Technical Workforce Grant, formerly called the Vocational Education Scholarship, supports those enrolled in technical programs that lead to either a certificate or an associate of applied science degree. Your chosen field must qualify as high demand, high cost, or an industry considered critical. There is a list of such fields attached to the application form here, including trades like electrical work, welding, diesel engines, and HVAC.

You must qualify as a Kansas resident who meets the standard for a high school education credential, including the GED and home schooling. Part-time attendance is acceptable, but your grant will be prorated accordingly. The maximum full-time award amount is $1,000 as of 2013.

Other Tuition Assistance From the State of Kansas

Kansas Career Work Study

The Kansas Career Work Study program has a practical orientation, letting students in technical schools take part-time course loads while working part-time for outside employers in jobs intended to complement their training. To be eligible, you must attend either a Kansas state university or Washburn University, and in either case you should ask your school’s financial aid office for details. For example, the University of Kansas has posted a page here with criteria for student and employer eligibility, plus the current limit on reimbursed student earnings.

Student eligibility requires Kansas residency, an overall GPA of at least 2.0, a six-hour course load, and work that relates to your declared major. Employers must possess a Federal Employee Identification Number, do business in Kansas using an in-state bank, and receive approval from the University Career Center.

Foster Child Education Assistance Program

The Foster Child Education Assistance Program provides that if students meet the eligibility criteria, and funding for the program permits, tuition and required fees at Kansas schools will be waived (although students are responsible for finding the money for textbooks, housing, and so on). There are four ways of making the determination of eligibility. You must be:

• In foster care at 18 years old, or
• Released from foster care before 18 with a high school diploma or GED, or
• Adopted out of the system on or after 16, or you must have
• Left foster care on or after 16 in a guardian’s care.

Eligibility continues until the student turns 23. Most types of school are acceptable, including two- and four-year degree granting institutions and those providing technical training. Note: Students who have difficulty paying school expenses not waived should contact the Department for Children and Families, formerly the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.

Tuition Waivers for Dependents of Deceased Public Safety Officers

The Kansas State Legislature has passed a law giving tuition and fee waivers like those in Foster Child Education Assistance to the dependents of public safety officers who died in the line of duty. Employees included are law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel.

KBOR has posted a description of the benefit here, and spouses who have not remarried are eligible. The law is retroactive, meaning if your relative’s death occurred before it was passed, that does not bar your application.

Tuition Waivers Related To Military Service

Kansas also offers tuition and fee waivers to students who were prisoners of war (POWs) after entering military service as a Kansas resident, and to the dependents or spouses of military personnel who died in service on or after 9/11. The guidelines for documenting POW status involve obtaining verification through the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the relevant branch of the armed forces.

NOTE: All of the federal grants are also made available to Kansas college students, and you can learn more about them here.