NerdWallet’s Information to Monetary Support Packages in Kansas

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

Kansas presents many monetary help applications that may make faculty much more inexpensive, significantly 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 Expertise, right here’s methods to make the most of the state’s monetary help applications.

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

With the state’s low price of residing and strong monetary help, the price of a university training tends to be inexpensive in Kansas than in different components of the nation. This is how a lot you need to anticipate to spend on tuition, charges, and room and board based mostly on common charges from the 2020-21 tutorial 12 months, based on the Nationwide Heart for Training Statistics:

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

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

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

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

In Kansas, you have to dwell within the state for a minimum of 12 months earlier than enrollment and you have to plan to dwell within the state indefinitely to qualify for in-state tuition and state-based help.

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 help applications. For almost all of Kansas’ applications, U.S. citizenship and a sound Social Safety quantity are required.

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

• 529 plans.

• In-state tuition.

• Scholarships.

• Tuition waivers.

• Incentive applications. 

• Different help applications. 

• Pupil mortgage reimbursement help.

Studying Quest is a 529 funding account you may open on behalf of a kid. You may contribute cash and spend money on a wide range of funds to develop the account tax-deferred. As soon as the kid is prepared for school, 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 revenue taxes. Annually, 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 Ok.I.D.S Matching Grant Program. By way of this program, the state will match the contributions to 529 plans from households that earn lower than 200% of federal poverty tips. The state will match as much as the primary $600 contributed throughout 2023.

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

Attending a public faculty in your state is usually the most cost effective choice. In Kansas, the common price of attendance at public universities is 46% lower than the common price of attending a personal faculty.

Nonetheless, college students who’ve their hearts set on attending a university outdoors of Kansas could qualify for decrease tuition by the Midwest Pupil Alternate Program. Provided by members of the Midwestern Greater Training Compact, this program permits college students to attend faculty outdoors their state of residence at a lowered charge. Taking part public colleges comply with cost college students not more than 150% of in-state tuition charges for eligible applications, and personal colleges supply a 10% discount of their charges. In accordance with 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:

• Minnesota.

• North Dakota.

• Wisconsin.

Grants are one of the vital priceless types of monetary help since they do not must be repaid. They’re awarded based mostly on the monetary info you submit on the Free Utility for Federal Pupil Support (FAFSA) and are sometimes 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 Support Utility.

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

The awards vary from $200 to $10,000 for college students attending non-public universities, and $100 to $4,000 for college students attending public colleges.

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

Kansas has 5 scholarship applications:

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

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

By way of 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 help software.

The Kansas State Scholarship is for college students 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 Navy Service Scholarship covers as much as the overall price of tuition and costs at any of Kansas’ state universities, group 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 a minimum of 90 days after Sept. 1, 2001.

• Honorably discharged or nonetheless in service. 

• Obtained army discharge papers or lively obligation papers with hostile service pay. 

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

Tuition waivers are applications that waive some or all the tuition and costs for qualifying college students. These waivers are often awarded based mostly on circumstances outdoors of the scholar’s management, equivalent to their mother and father’ service data or employment, and the awards aren’t tied to a service obligation.

There are two tuition waiver applications in Kansas:

• The coed 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 coed 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 coed was within the custody of the Kansas DCF and adopted from a foster care placement on or after their 16th birthday. 

• The coed was launched from their foster care placement and topic to a guardianship on or after their 16th birthday whereas within the custody of the Kansas DCF. 

The coed is chargeable for the price of books, provides and their room and board. Nonetheless, they might qualify for added help by Social and Rehabilitation Companies.

The Kansas Hero’s Scholarship waives the total price of tuition and costs at eligible colleges for the dependents and spouses of deceased or disabled public security officers or army service members. The schooling and charge waiver is accessible for undergraduate coursework solely.

College students can use this waiver to attend any of Kansas’ public state universities, public group 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 have to dwell and work within the state for a selected interval after graduating. In any other case, you could 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 outdoors 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 help is utilized. To qualify, college students have to be enrolled at a qualifying group faculty, technical faculty or non-public impartial four-year faculty. Eligible fields embody:

• Data expertise 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 a minimum of 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 among Kansas’ public colleges, Washburn College or choose group schools and technical colleges could also be eligible for the Kansas Nationwide Guard Instructional Help Program. Award quantities fluctuate by 12 months, however it could possibly cowl a portion of tuition and costs at eligible colleges.

Recipients have to be present members of the Kansas Nationwide Guard and decide to serving a further 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 gives help to graduate-level nursing college students who agree to show in a nurse training program at a Kansas faculty or college. Award quantities fluctuate by faculty, 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 Heart and Wichita State College.

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

The Kansas Nursing Service Scholarship encourages college students to turn into 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 help. The coed will need to have an employer sponsor that covers a portion of the award, and the state pays the opposite half.

The coed should work full time as a nurse for the employer sponsor for every year they obtain the scholarship. In any other case, the award is transformed right into a mortgage with an rate of interest 5 share factors increased 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 faculty underneath the Kansas Osteopathic Medical Service Scholarship. It’s essential to decide to offering main medical care in a chosen underserved space in Kansas for a minimum of one 12 months for every year you acquired the scholarship.

In case you do not full the service obligation, the scholarship is transformed to a mortgage with a charge that’s 5 share factors increased 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 faculty in one other state. In alternate, recipients should full one 12 months of observe in Kansas for every year they obtain the scholarship.

For the 2023-24 tutorial 12 months, the taking part colleges are:

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

• The Southern School of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee.

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

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

By way of the Kansas ROTC Service Scholarship, college students can obtain an award that covers as much as 70% of the annual price of attendance at a qualifying establishment. In alternate, college students agree to simply accept a fee as a second lieutenant and serve for a minimum of 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 group schools are eligible.

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

The Kansas Trainer Service Scholarship is a merit-based incentive program. It gives monetary help to college students pursuing bachelor’s or grasp’s levels and those that are at the moment licensed lecturers pursuing an endorsement in hard-to-fill disciplines. The recipient should agree to show in an accredited, underserved Ok-12 faculty one 12 months for every year 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 Research program is for Kansas residents enrolled a minimum of 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 tutorial program. The employers might be nonprofit organizations, public companies or non-public firms within the state. Earnings fluctuate by place, however college students can use their revenue from work-study applications to cowl a few of their training bills.

For particulars and knowledge on methods to apply, contact a faculty’s monetary help workplace.

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

The typical pupil mortgage stability per borrower in Kansas is $31,502 — barely decrease than the nationwide common. Nonetheless, the state operates a number of mortgage reimbursement help applications which will aid you repay your loans quicker.

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 reimbursement applications in Kansas:

By way of the Kansas Bridging Plan, resident physicians in accredited residency applications can obtain as much as $26,000 in mortgage reimbursement advantages. In alternate, they have to decide to observe for a minimum of three years at a facility in an eligible Kansas group.

Open to each residents of Kansas and nonresidents, the Kansas Rural Alternative Zones program gives mortgage reimbursement help to employees who transfer to a chosen rural alternative zone inside Kansas.

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

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

The Kansas SLRP gives as much as $50,000 in mortgage reimbursement advantages over two years for qualifying well being care professionals. Individuals can renew the award for as much as three extra years, bringing the utmost quantity to $95,000 in whole mortgage reimbursement advantages. Individuals should decide to working for a minimum of two years at a qualifying observe website for the preliminary two-year contract.

To use for one among Kansas’ monetary help applications, comply with these steps:

1. Submit the FAFSA: Most of Kansas’ awards are a minimum of partially based mostly on monetary want, and the awards take into account the knowledge you submit on the FAFSA to find out your eligibility. You may full and submit the FAFSA on-line at FAFSA.gov. 

2. Submit the State of Kansas Pupil Support Utility: Moreover the FAFSA, Kansas residents must also full the State of Kansas Pupil Support Utility; it is required for many awards. You may full and submit the shape on-line. 

3. Evaluate different necessities: Some applications have extra necessities, equivalent to separate functions or extra documentation, so evaluate every program to learn how to use.

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