Kansas Financial Aid Programs – NerdWallet

The price of attending four-year private and non-private faculties in Kansas is considerably decrease than the nationwide common.

Kansas gives many monetary assist applications that may make school much more inexpensive, notably for low-income college students. Whether or not you are contemplating incomes a bachelor’s diploma on the College of Kansas or a certificates from the Washburn Institute of Know-how, right here’s reap the benefits of the state’s monetary assist applications.

In Kansas, there are 56 four- and two-year faculties that challenge levels, together with private and non-private nonprofit establishments.

With the state’s low value of residing and strong monetary assist, the price of a university training tends to be cheaper in Kansas than in different components of the nation. Here is how a lot you need to count on to spend on tuition, charges, and room and board based mostly on common charges from the 2020-21 educational 12 months, in response to the Nationwide Middle for Schooling Statistics:

• Public four-year college (in-state): $19,082 per 12 months, about 11% lower than the nationwide common of $21,337. 

• Non-public four-year college: $35,339 per 12 months, about 24% lower than the nationwide common of $46,313.

• Group school (in-state): $3,648 per 12 months — not together with room and board — about 4% larger than the nationwide common of $3,501. 

Kansas has a number of monetary assist applications, however you have to be a qualifying resident to be eligible.

In Kansas, you need to dwell within the state for not less than 12 months earlier than enrollment and you need to plan to dwell within the state indefinitely to qualify for in-state tuition and state-based assist.

College students missing everlasting authorized standing, together with Deferred Motion for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) college students, are eligible for in-state tuition in the event that they meet the opposite residency necessities. However DACA and undocumented college students aren’t eligible for many state monetary assist applications. For almost all of Kansas’ applications, U.S. citizenship and a sound Social Safety quantity are required.

Kansas has a number of varieties of monetary assist, so college students could possibly use a number of of the next choices to pay for his or her training:

• Pupil mortgage compensation help.

Studying Quest is a 529 funding account you may open on behalf of a kid. You’ll be able to contribute cash and put money into a wide range of funds to develop the account tax-deferred. As soon as the kid is prepared for faculty, the account proprietor can withdraw the cash for qualifying training bills tax-free. Contributions to 529 plans can’t exceed $455,000 per beneficiary.

Contributions to the 529 could also be deductible in your state earnings taxes. Every year, Kansas residents can deduct as much as $3,000 in contributions ($6,000 if married and submitting a joint return).

Along with the Studying Quest 529, Kansas has one other profit: the Okay.I.D.S Matching Grant Program. By this program, the state will match the contributions to 529 plans from households that earn lower than 200% of federal poverty pointers. The state will match as much as the primary $600 contributed throughout 2023.

This system is restricted to 1,200 members and is operated on a first-come, first-served foundation.

Attending a public college in your state is often the most affordable possibility. In Kansas, the common value of attendance at public universities is 46% lower than the common value of attending a non-public college.

Nonetheless, college students who’ve their hearts set on attending a university exterior of Kansas might qualify for decrease tuition by way of the Midwest Pupil Alternate Program. Provided by members of the Midwestern Larger Schooling Compact, this program permits college students to attend school exterior their state of residence at a diminished charge. Taking part public faculties comply with cost college students not more than 150% of in-state tuition charges for eligible applications, and personal faculties provide a ten% discount of their charges. Based on this system’s web site, college students save $7,000 per 12 months, on common.

Eight states take part within the Midwest Pupil Alternate Program:

Grants are probably the most helpful types of monetary assist since they do not need to be repaid. They’re awarded based mostly on the monetary info you submit on the Free Utility for Federal Pupil Help (FAFSA) and are usually awarded to low- and middle-income college students.

Kansas has two grant applications:

Eligible full-time college students can obtain as much as $1,000 per 12 months, and the award is renewable for as much as 4 semesters.

To use, college students should full the FAFSA and a separate State of Kansas Pupil Help Utility.

College students with monetary want might qualify for the Kansas Complete Grant. To qualify, college students have to be enrolled full time at one of many 18 personal schools and universities in Kansas, one of many six state universities or Washburn College.

The awards vary from $200 to $10,000 for college kids attending personal universities, and $100 to $4,000 for college kids attending public faculties.

In Kansas, college students with robust teachers or who meet different necessities can qualify for scholarships. Like grants, scholarships do not need to be repaid, making them a helpful useful resource.

Kansas has 5 scholarship applications:

The Kansas Pc Science Educator Scholarship is a one-time award of $1,000 for licensed Okay-12 academics enrolled in school programs for added school credit score or preservice Okay-12 academics enrolled in school programs resulting in a instructing license. College students have to be enrolled in a pc science course in the course of the semester they’re making use of for assist and should attend a college in Kansas.

The Kansas Distinguished Scholarship Program is for college kids from Kansas who’ve been designated as Brasenose, Chevening, Fulbright, Madison, Marshall, Mellon, Rhodes or Truman students. The award quantities differ by 12 months and program funding, however it reimburses college students for tuition and charges.

By the Kansas Ethnic Minority Scholarship, college students belonging to the next teams can qualify for as much as $1,850 yearly: African American, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Hispanic.

The scholarship takes into consideration grades and standardized take a look at scores, and college students should full a separate state monetary assist software.

The Kansas State Scholarship is for college kids with a monetary want who’re within the prime 20% to 30% of the state’s highschool graduates and designated as state students. To qualify for the award, college students should obtain a certificates stating they accomplished the required curriculum in highschool and a letter that states the scholar is designated as a scholar by the Kansas Board of Regents.

Qualifying college students will obtain as much as $1,000 per 12 months for as much as 4 years.

The Army Service Scholarship covers as much as the full value of tuition and charges at any of Kansas’ state universities, neighborhood schools or technical schools, or at Washburn College. College students can obtain the award for as much as 4 years.

To qualify, college students have to be Kansas residents and meet one of many following necessities:

• Served in worldwide waters or overseas soil and acquired hostile fireplace pay for not less than 90 days after Sept. 1, 2001.

• Honorably discharged or nonetheless in service. 

• Acquired army discharge papers or lively responsibility papers with hostile service pay. 

College students should submit the FAFSA and the State of Kansas Pupil Help Utility to use.

Tuition waivers are applications that waive some or the entire tuition and charges for qualifying college students. These waivers are normally awarded based mostly on circumstances exterior of the scholar’s management, corresponding to their mother and father’ service information or employment, and the awards aren’t tied to a service obligation.

There are two tuition waiver applications in Kansas:

• The scholar was within the custody of the Secretary of the Kansas Division for Kids and Households (DCF) and in a foster care placement on or after their 18th birthday.

• The scholar was launched from the custody of Kansas DCF earlier than they turned 18 and graduated from highschool or obtained a GED whereas in foster care placement and within the custody of the Kansas DCF. 

• The scholar was within the custody of the Kansas DCF and adopted from a foster care placement on or after their sixteenth birthday. 

• The scholar was launched from their foster care placement and topic to a guardianship on or after their sixteenth birthday whereas within the custody of the Kansas DCF. 

The scholar is accountable for the price of books, provides and their room and board. Nonetheless, they could qualify for added help by way of Social and Rehabilitation Providers.

The Kansas Hero’s Scholarship waives the complete value of tuition and charges at eligible faculties for the dependents and spouses of deceased or disabled public security officers or army service members. The tutoring and price waiver is obtainable for undergraduate coursework solely.

College students can use this waiver to attend any of Kansas’ public state universities, public neighborhood schools or public technical schools, or Washburn College.

Kansas has a number of incentive applications that get rid of some or all tuition prices. A few of them are known as scholarships, however these awards require service obligations, so you need to dwell and work within the state for a selected interval after graduating. In any other case, you will have to repay the award with curiosity.

The Kansas Dental Instructional Alternatives Program was designed to encourage dentists to relocate to Kansas and set up their practices. College students from exterior Kansas attending the College of Missouri-Kansas Metropolis can qualify for a waiver for the distinction between resident and nonresident tuition charges. Nonetheless, a service obligation have to be accomplished. Functions can be found from the College of Missouri-Kansas Metropolis and are accepted on a rolling foundation.

The Kansas Promise Act Scholarship is a last-dollar award. Final-dollar awards cowl bills after different monetary assist is utilized. To qualify, college students have to be enrolled at a qualifying neighborhood school, technical college or personal unbiased four-year college. Eligible fields embrace:

• Data know-how or info safety.

• Psychological and bodily well being care.

• Superior manufacturing or constructing trades.

• Early childhood training or growth.

The scholarship covers a lifetime most of 68 credit score hours or $20,000, whichever happens first.

Inside six months of finishing this system, the recipient should begin one of many following service obligations:

• Reside in and work in Kansas for not less than two years.

• Enroll in a Kansas college and work in Kansas for 2 years upon commencement.

• Start service as a army service member.

Revenue limits apply, and college students should fill out the FAFSA, a separate software and scholarship settlement to qualify.

College students attending one in every of Kansas’ public faculties, Washburn College or choose neighborhood schools and technical faculties could also be eligible for the Kansas Nationwide Guard Instructional Help Program. Award quantities differ by 12 months, however it could possibly cowl a portion of tuition and charges at eligible faculties.

Recipients have to be present members of the Kansas Nationwide Guard and decide to serving an extra 24 months within the Kansas Nationwide Guard after graduating. If the scholar fails to finish the service obligation, the award is transformed right into a mortgage.

The Kansas Nurse Educator Service Scholarship offers assist to graduate-level nursing college students who agree to show in a nurse training program at a Kansas school or college. Award quantities differ by college, and applications on the following schools solely are eligible: Baker College, Fort Hays State College, Mid America Nazarene School, Pittsburg State College, Tabor School, St. Mary’s College, College of Kansas Medical Middle and Wichita State College.

Recipients of the award should train one 12 months for annually of help they obtain after incomes their graduate diploma.

The Kansas Nursing Service Scholarship encourages college students to grow to be licensed sensible nurses (LPNs) or registered nurses (RNs). College students enrolled in eligible nursing applications can qualify for as much as $4,500 per 12 months in monetary assist. The scholar should have an employer sponsor that covers a portion of the award, and the state pays the opposite half.

The scholar should work full time as a nurse for the employer sponsor for annually they obtain the scholarship. In any other case, the award is transformed right into a mortgage with an rate of interest 5 share factors larger than the speed for federal PLUS loans. The rate of interest for not fulfilling the Kansas Nursing Service Scholarship service obligation is 13.05% for loans issued between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.

Kansas residents can obtain as much as $25,000 per 12 months for medical college beneath the Kansas Osteopathic Medical Service Scholarship. You should decide to offering major medical care in a delegated underserved space in Kansas for not less than one 12 months for annually you acquired the scholarship.

When you do not full the service obligation, the scholarship is transformed to a mortgage with a charge that’s 5 share factors larger than the speed for federal PLUS loans.

To extend the variety of optometrists within the state, the Kansas Optometry Service Scholarship pays the distinction between resident and nonresident tuition for Kansas residents attending a taking part college in one other state. In change, recipients should full one 12 months of apply in Kansas for annually they obtain the scholarship.

For the 2023-24 educational 12 months, the taking part faculties are:

• The Missouri Faculty of Optometry on the College of Missouri–St. Louis. 

• The Southern School of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee.

• The Faculty of Optometry at Northeastern State College in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

If a scholar does not full the service obligation, the scholarship is transformed right into a mortgage with a charge 5 share factors larger than the speed on federal PLUS Loans.

By the Kansas ROTC Service Scholarship, college students can obtain an award that covers as much as 70% of the annual value of attendance at a qualifying establishment. In change, college students agree to simply accept a fee as a second lieutenant and serve for not less than 4 years as a commissioned officer within the Kansas Military Nationwide Guard.

Solely applications at Kansas State College, Pittsburg State College, College of Kansas, Washburn College and a few neighborhood schools are eligible.

If the service obligation is not met, the award is transformed right into a mortgage with a five-year compensation time period.

The Kansas Trainer Service Scholarship is a merit-based incentive program. It offers monetary assist to college students pursuing bachelor’s or grasp’s levels and people who are at present licensed academics pursuing an endorsement in hard-to-fill disciplines. The recipient should agree to show in an authorized, underserved Okay-12 college one 12 months for annually they acquired the scholarship.

The utmost award is $3,157 per semester, and college students can obtain the award for as much as 10 semesters.

Kansas has two different applications that college students can use to offset their training bills:

The Kansas Profession Work Examine program is for Kansas residents enrolled not less than halftime and attending one of many six public state universities or Washburn College. Qualifying college students work half time for an employer that enhances their educational program. The employers will be nonprofit organizations, public companies or personal firms within the state. Earnings differ by place, however college students can use their earnings from work-study applications to cowl a few of their training bills.

For particulars and data on apply, contact a college’s monetary assist workplace.

Graduate college students from Kansas’ public universities who plan to check overseas could also be eligible for the James B. Pearson Fellowship. It offers college students with a mean stipend of $3,000 to cowl their bills overseas, topic to funding availability.

The common scholar mortgage steadiness per borrower in Kansas is $31,502 — barely decrease than the nationwide common. Nonetheless, the state operates a number of mortgage compensation help applications that will enable you to repay your loans sooner.

The state’s Kansas Rural Alternatives Zones program is noteworthy as a result of it is not restricted to sure professions; this system is open to anybody who relocates to one of many state’s designated alternative zones.

These are the three mortgage compensation applications in Kansas:

By the Kansas Bridging Plan, resident physicians in authorized residency applications can obtain as much as $26,000 in mortgage compensation advantages. In change, they need to decide to apply for not less than three years at a facility in an eligible Kansas neighborhood.

Open to each residents of Kansas and nonresidents, the Kansas Rural Alternative Zones program offers mortgage compensation help to staff who transfer to a delegated rural alternative zone inside Kansas.

Those that relocate can qualify for both a tax credit score or scholar mortgage compensation help. (In some counties, staff can obtain each perks). Eligible members can obtain as much as $15,000 in mortgage compensation help over 5 years.

To qualify, you need to have a newly established everlasting residence in one of many designated counties, and you need to have present scholar loans for an affiliate, bachelor’s or graduate diploma earlier than shifting. You’ll be able to apply on-line, however you need to present proof of domicile, proof of everlasting residency and school transcripts.

The Kansas SLRP offers as much as $50,000 in mortgage compensation advantages over two years for qualifying well being care professionals. Individuals can renew the award for as much as three further years, bringing the utmost quantity to $95,000 in complete mortgage compensation advantages. Individuals should decide to working for not less than two years at a qualifying apply web site for the preliminary two-year contract.

To use for one in every of Kansas’ monetary assist applications, comply with these steps:

1. Submit the FAFSA: Most of Kansas’ awards are not less than partially based mostly on monetary want, and the awards contemplate the data you submit on the FAFSA to find out your eligibility. You’ll be able to full and submit the FAFSA on-line at FAFSA.gov. 

2. Submit the State of Kansas Pupil Help Utility: Moreover the FAFSA, Kansas residents also needs to full the State of Kansas Pupil Help Utility; it is required for many awards. You’ll be able to full and submit the shape on-line. 

3. Evaluate different necessities: Some applications have further necessities, corresponding to separate purposes or further documentation, so assessment every program to learn how to use.

4. Contact your school’s monetary assist workplace: To qualify for a few of Kansas’ applications, it’s important to work together with your school’s monetary assist workplace. Contact a monetary assist consultant to see what awards can be found to you and apply.