SUPPORT

Anyone who will finish a high school degree or receives a GED during the current academic year, who has ever been enrolled in the Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP program or who has been enrolled in a Partnership GEAR UP program (within the state of Kansas), is eligible to apply for a KKGU scholarship for the next academic year.

Individuals who have previously been awarded KKGU scholarships are eligible to re-apply using the Continuation Application. For further information see “General Scholarship Eligibility Criteria” below.

Scholarship amounts from eligible applications are figured by subtracting the total awards (scholarships, grants and work study- as reported on the financial aid award letter) from the estimated cost of attendance for that institution. The number that this calculation yields is referred to as “unmet need”. The KKGU scholarship is meant to address this shortfall and will never exceed the unmet need of a particular student.

You almost certainly will have expenses that are not covered by financial aid or by KKGU scholarships. KKGU scholarships are not intended to provide for all of your unmet need. You may need to borrow money or work part-time to meet all of your needs.

Any student (KKGU participant or other GEAR UP participant) who meets the General Scholarship Eligibility Criteria, all items on the eligibility checklist and provides all required documents in a timely manner and is very likely to receive a KKGU scholarship.

There is no requirement that you receive the scholarship during consecutive semesters in order to keep it. You may start back up with the scholarship provided that you submit your application on time, you are still receiving a Pell Grant, your grades demonstrate progress towards graduation and your financial aid award letter demonstrates unmet need. If you received a Pell Grant during you freshman year, but did not during your sophomore year, there is no reason you cannot apply for (and receive) the KKGU scholarship provided that you are once again receiving a Pell Grant your junior year (and that you also meet the above criteria of academic progress, unmet need and a timely application). If in doubt, you are always free to apply for the scholarship.

You may only receive the KKGU scholarship for a total of eight semesters, but as stated above, those semesters do not need to be consecutive.

Yes, applicants for the KKGU scholarship must be Pell-Eligible, that is, they must be receiving a Pell Grant during the same academic period for which they are applying for the KKGU scholarship.

Pell eligibility refers to whether a student is receiving or is eligible to receive a Pell grant during any given semester or academic year. If a student is receiving a Pell grant (of any amount), they are said to be Pell-eligible for that particular academic year. It is possible that a student may be eligible for a Pell grant, but not receive one (a Pell). This student would still be eligible for the KKGU scholarship. Because KKGU scholarships are Pell Grant dependent, they are also FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) dependent, so it is imperative that any applicants submit a FAFSA in a timely manner in order to be considered for the KKGU scholarship.

Anyone who has previously received a KKGU scholarship. It may not be used by first time applicants.

Students must have a 2.0 GPA from their high school work in order to be eligible for the scholarship initially. Students who have received the scholarship in the past and who are applying to renew it must maintain a 2.0 GPA in all of their college work in order to be eligible for the KKGU scholarship.

The most common scenario is that a student either fails to apply for a renewal or they fail to supply all the needed items to be considered. During the award period, a KKGU scholarship could be reduced or eliminated if a student receives other scholarships or awards that were not listed on the student’s financial aid award letter. KKGU scholarships may also be reduced or eliminated if the student drops below full-time status. If a student fails to enroll at the institution for which they have been awarded a KKGU scholarship, their scholarship check will be returned to KKGU. Further, KKGU scholarships are contingent upon academic progress to be made by the student. If a student drops out of school or is academically dismissed, all or a portion of the KKGU scholarship will be returned to KKGU.