College Funding in Kansas
Programs to Help You Pay for Your Education
A State Board of Regents administers the sizeable crop of state-funded scholarships and grants. The Kansas state university system is comprised of six state universities located across various campuses in the state, one municipal university, 19 community colleges and nearly a dozen technical institutions.
General Scholarships and Grants
Kansas Comprehensive Grants make a college education affordable and accessible to very financially disadvantaged students. Students who qualify must be enrolled in a four-year state college or university. Award amounts are between $100 and $3000 depending on the type of school. Apply by filling out the FAFSA.
Vocational students who are Kansas state residents may qualify for the Vocational Scholarship. This merit-based award offers students who pass the entrance exam a small, but worthy scholarship to attend one of the state's technical institutions.
Academically talented as well as income-challenged students may benefit from the Kansas Scholars Program. Outstanding students who have completed a "regents approved curriculum" and who are enrolled at a state college or university may qualify to receive up to $1000 per academic year. Superior ACT scores and above average GPA required.
For those most academically talented, the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship awards $1500 scholarships to top-notch students from every state. The program is available for four years, or the time it takes to complete the required four-year undergraduate degree program a student must be enrolled in. Eligible students must be honors-level high school seniors, possess top ACT scores and be at the top of their class. Students are nominated and chosen by school officials.
Graduate level scholars, who are recipients of such respected scholarships as the Fulbright and Carnegie-Mellon, may receive an additional scholarship from the State of Kansas - the Distinguished Scholars Program. The fund is designed as an incentive to keep talented academicians working, studying and living in Kansas.
The James B. Pearson Fellowship is available to the right graduate level student wishing to study or travel abroad. Students must be residents of Kansas and currently attending a state college or university to qualify. Awards may be as much as $2200.
Minority students - African American, Hispanic, Native Alaskan or Native American, or Asian - may qualify for the Kansas Ethnic Minority Scholarship. Students must also be academically motivated as proven by their GPAs and ACT scores, as well as documented participation in a regents-approved "scholars curriculum." Full-time undergraduate students with the above qualifications and who can prove financial need may receive up to $1800 per academic year. See more minority related scholarships.
State-funded tuition waivers are available for students who have been in foster care and for dependents of public safety officers killed in the line of duty.
Specialized Studies Scholarships and Grants
Are you a Kansas student pursuing nursing or teaching? You may be able to get the college degree you need without paying a nickel. Like many other states, Kansas is proactive in recruiting educators, nurses and other allied health professionals. Both professions suffer in numbers, especially in underserved areas.
Teaching students may find the following scholarships and grants beneficial:
- The Kansas Teacher Service Scholarship is designed as an incentive for academically talented students to pursue teaching. The program may award students, undergraduate or graduate level, up to $5000 per academic year until certification is received. Qualified recipients must have participated in a rigorous college preparatory program as outline by the state Board of Regents, as well as maintain superior GPA. In exchange for scholarship monies, students must agree to teach in the state public school system following graduation. Most must be willing to teach a particular subject or in an underserved region.
- Not sure what you want to do when you graduate from college? Do you have an aptitude with the sciences or math? You might consider the Math and Science Teacher Service Scholarship that offers incentive to college juniors and seniors to become math and science teachers. Qualified students may receive up to $5000 per academic year in exchange for a specified amount of teaching service in the Kansas public school system.
- For students who have earned an Associates Degree, have been working as teachers, and wish to pursue a four-year teaching program the Kansas Teacher Education Service Scholarship may provide the added incentive. Eligible teaching students may receive up to $3000 per academic year. In exchange, students must agree to teach in the Kansas public school system for a specified amount of time.
- Special Education teachers continue to be in short supply. Qualified students may be eligible for the Special Education Teachers Service Scholarship. This is a graduate level program that offers tuition incentive to working teachers who hold a Bachelors degree and may be interested in pursuing special education. Recipients must agree to work for a specified amount of time in the Kansas public school system as special education teachers. See more teaching related scholarships.
Students pursuing a health profession such as nursing, dentistry, osteopathic medicine or optometry may consider one of the following programs:
- Nursing students may explore the Nursing Scholarship Program that offers scholarships to students pursing a registered nursing program and a few to licensed practical nurses. Many of the scholarships are awarded to students who are willing to exchange tuition for work in rural facilities, typically medically underserved. Students must also qualify financially by filling out the FAFSA. See more nursing related scholarships.
- The Dental Education Opportunities Program specifically offers assistance for dental students enrolling in the University of Missouri - Kansas City.
- The Kansas Optometry Service Scholarship and the Kansas Osteopathic Medical Service Scholarship address the lack of specialized medical professionals especially in rural, underserved areas of Kansas. Recipients of each program are expected to agree to practice professionally within Kansas for a specified amount of time following graduation. See more medical related scholarships.
For complete details about every scholarship listed, see this section of Kansas Board of Regents website.
