Navigating the Great Jobs KC Scholarship Program: Requirements and Opportunities

The Great Jobs KC Scholarship Program, including the KC Scholars initiative, offers various scholarships to students and adult learners in the Kansas City region. These scholarships aim to make college education accessible and attainable. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the eligibility requirements, application process, scholarship values, and other important details of the Great Jobs KC Scholarship Program.

Overview of KC Scholars Programs

Great Jobs KC works closely with the KC Scholars College Network to ensure scholars receive comprehensive support. The KC Scholars program provides financial assistance and support to students pursuing higher education. The program offers scholarships to both traditional students and adult learners, with different eligibility criteria and award amounts.

Scholarship Opportunities

The KC Scholars College Network presents ample opportunities to pursue higher education dreams. The program awards 250 11th-Grade College Scholarships, giving students the flexibility to choose from the network's institutions. Additionally, there are numerous College-Specific Scholarships available.

11th-Grade College Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to students at the end of their 11th-grade year, providing assurance that college is attainable. Unlike many scholarship programs that award funds near the end of 12th grade, the Great Jobs KC - KC Scholars Scholarship Program awards its 11th-Grade College Scholarship at the end of 11th grade. Current 12th graders are not eligible to apply to this program.

Value: Up to $10,000 per year for up to six years, totaling a maximum of $50,000 ($5,000 per semester). The scholarship funds are paid directly to the college or university of enrollment.

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Benefits: In addition to financial assistance, awardees are paired with a Scholar Advocate for support every step of the way. Great Jobs KC, partner school districts, and college and university partners provide assistance with college admissions, scholarship applications, FAFSA completion, advising for students and families, and campus tours.

Eligibility: To receive the 11th-Grade College Scholarship, students must plan to attend one of the Great Jobs KC - KC Scholars Scholarship Program partner colleges or universities.

Restrictions: The scholarship cannot be used for dual credit classes or other college courses taken during high school.

Adult Learner Scholarship

These scholarships are designed for adults with some college experience but no degree, offering them the opportunity to complete their education. Through offering adult education scholarships to adults (24+) with a high school diploma or equivalent who have not earned a bachelor’s degree, we provide the opportunity many thought they’d never have. Adult learners can receive up to $25,000 paid directly to the college through these generous adult education grants and can enroll either full or part-time. There are 281,000 adults with some college and no degree and 96,000 with an associate’s degree but not a bachelor’s degree in the six counties Great Jobs KC serves. We strive to reduce that number and make it possible for college dreams to be realized.

Eligibility Requirements:

Must have a high school diploma or equivalent (24 years or older).
Must live in one of the six eligible counties (Kansas: Wyandotte, Johnson; Missouri: Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte).
Must be income eligible, with a FAFSA Student Aid Index (SAI) of 12,000 or less.
Must not have previously earned a bachelor’s degree.
Must not have previously been awarded a scholarship payment completed for a KC Scholars Traditional or Adult Learner scholarship.

Award Amount: Adult Learners can receive up to $12,500 per year, depending on number of terms enrolled during the academic year, enrollment status per term, and institution of enrollment. Scholarship completion points are the earning of a bachelor's degree, $25,000 in total scholarship payments, or completion of 6 academic years since scholarship awarding.

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Benefits: Great Jobs KC matches each awardee with an Adult Learner Advocate and connects them with support at partner colleges and universities, providing advising, assistance with college enrollment, FAFSA completion, and referrals to campus and community resources.

Usage: Our 150 Adult Learner Scholarships can be used anywhere in the KC Scholars College Network.

Great Jobs KC - KC Scholars Scholarship Match and Incentive Program

The Great Jobs KC - KC Scholars Scholarship Match and Incentive program provides eligible 9th grade students with a 1:1 match and incentives up to $1,400 to use toward college. It is a one-time scholarship match.

College-Specific Scholarships

Awardees of a College-Specific Scholarship can use their scholarship funds at ONLY the KC Scholars College Network Partner providing the scholarship funds.

KCAI-Specific Scholarship: Valued at $108,000, distributed over four (4) years. The 4-year scholarship term may be extended in certain circumstances where KCAI’s investment has not exceeded $108,000 or 6 years.

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MNU-Specific Scholarship: The maximum payment period is five (5) years, but each individual’s payment period will end upon the attainment of a bachelor’s degree OR use of $50,000/$70,000 of MNU-Specific scholarship support if that occurs prior to the end of five (5) years.

MSU-Specific Scholarship: The maximum Payment Period is five (5) years, but each individual’s Payment Period will end upon the attainment of a bachelor’s degree OR use of $50,000 of MSU-Specific scholarship support if that occurs prior to the end of five (5) years.

NWMSU-Specific Scholarship: The maximum Payment Period is six (6) years, but each individual’s Payment Period will end upon the attainment of a bachelor’s degree OR use of $50,000 of NWMSU-Specific scholarship support if that occurs prior to the end of six (6) years.

Ottawa-Specific Scholarship: The maximum payment period is five (5) years, but each individual’s payment period will end upon the attainment of a bachelor’s degree OR use of $115,000 of Ottawa-Specific scholarship support if that occurs prior to the end of five (5) years.

Ottawa-Specific (Overland Park campus) Scholarship: The maximum payment period is five (5) years, but each individual’s payment period will end upon the attainment of a bachelor’s degree OR use of $50,000 of Ottawa Specific scholarship support if that occurs prior to the end of five (5) years.

PSU-Specific Scholarship: The maximum payment period is six (6) years, but each individual’s payment period will end upon the attainment of a bachelor’s degree OR use of $50,000 of PSU-Specific scholarship support if that occurs prior to the end of six (6) years.

TSU-Specific Scholarship: The maximum payment period is six (6) years, but each individual’s payment period will end upon the attainment of a bachelor’s degree OR use of $50,000 of Truman-Specific scholarship support if that occurs prior to the end of six (6) years.

MU-Specific Scholarship: The maximum Payment Period is six (6) years, but each individual’s Payment Period will end upon the attainment of a bachelor’s degree OR use of $50,000 of MU-Specific scholarship support if that occurs prior to the end of six (6) years.

UMKC-Specific Scholarship: The maximum Payment Period is six (6) years, but each individual’s Payment Period will end upon the attainment of a bachelor’s degree OR use of $50,000 of UMKC-Specific scholarship support if that occurs prior to the end of six (6) years.

USM-Specific Scholarship: The maximum Payment Period is six (6) years, but each individual’s Payment Period will end upon the attainment of a bachelor’s degree OR use of $100,000 of USM-Sponsored scholarship support if that occurs prior to the end of six (6) years.

WSU-Specific Scholarship: A four-year funding commitment. Each scholarship awarded under this program provides funding on an annual basis. An awardee is eligible for automatic renewal of the WSU-Specific KCS Scholarship each year for three (3) additional academic years as long as they maintain a 2.5 GPA, have a university housing contract during their first year, have a university meal plan in their first year, have not exceeded $50,000 of scholarship funding, and file the FAFSA by February 1st of each academic year for those eligible to submit the FAFSA.

Jewell-Specific Scholarship: Valued at up to $10,000 per year. The Jewell-Specific award may be renewed for a total of four years of scholarship funding. Additional years may be applicable in certain circumstances and will be determined by the William Jewell Financial Aid Office on a case-by-case basis.

WWU-Specific Scholarship: The maximum Payment Period is six (6) years, but each individual’s Payment Period will end upon the attainment of a bachelor’s degree OR use of $100,000 of WWU-Specific scholarship support if that occurs prior to the end of six (6) years.

General Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for any of the Great Jobs KC - KC Scholars Scholarship Program scholarships, applicants must meet specific criteria. However, meeting the criteria or applying for a scholarship does not guarantee an award.

Geographic Requirements: Scholarships are generally available to applicants living in Wyandotte or Johnson counties in Kansas, or in Clay, Platte, Jackson, or Cass counties in Missouri. An individual must meet the criteria shown in the table below to be eligible to apply for a scholarship. However, neither the meeting of these criteria nor applying for a scholarship guarantees award of a scholarship. And/or in this statement allows for and is specific to those students that attend a school - with the school geographically located in one of the six service counties that enrolls students from multiple counties to be eligible to apply if they live outside the six counties but attend school within the Program’s service counties.

Income Requirements: To be considered income eligible, an applicant’s Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation on the Federal Student Aid Estimator must be 12,000 or less. The calculation is based on household income, assets, and the number of members in the family. It is the amount of annual financial support a family can be expected to pay toward the student’s college education.

SAI Verification: An applicant must provide an SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation at the time of application for their application to be evaluated. An applicant’s SAI calculation from the Federal Student Aid Estimator referenced in the application or the FAFSA itself must be 12,000 or less for the applicant to be eligible to apply. The SAI formulas use income, assets, and the number of persons in the family size for the award year. An SAI estimate provided by the Federal Student Aid Estimator is acceptable at the time of application. However, a FAFSA Submission Summary is required and uploaded in the Scholar Portal prior to initial payment of a scholarship for those eligible to submit the FAFSA. Applicants and scholarship recipients will use tax information from the prior-prior tax year as is standard and accepted practice for completion of the FAFSA and Federal Student Aid Estimator. It is possible that an awardee’s SAI would change between the time of application and college enrollment. Thus, an applicant’s SAI will be evaluated at the time of application and at the time of initial college enrollment to determine if the awardee is eligible for the scholarship. Scholarship awardees will provide a complete FAFSA Submission Summary via the KC Scholars portal, the Program will review any SAI that has risen above the eligibility requirement of 12,000 or less. It is also possible that a Scholar may be selected for verification of their FAFSA data. When this happens the postsecondary institution the Scholar attends will verify information used for FAFSA completion and the resulting SAI. If an SAI changes to be greater than the eligibility criteria of 12,000 or less, the postsecondary institution will notify the Program. The Program may apply professional judgment to grant an exception to this income limit in unusual circumstances where fairness and consistency of administration lead the Program to believe that it should grant an exception.

Exclusions: Kauffman Foundation “Trustees, officers and directors” and their immediate families are ineligible to apply for and receive a KC Scholars Scholarship Program scholarship. Great Jobs KC “Trustees, officers, and senior management” and their immediate families will be ineligible to apply for and receive a KC Scholars scholarship.

Application Process

All applicants must apply for a scholarship using the online scholarship application portal designated, maintained, and managed by the Program. Applicants with visual impairments or other disabilities that may preclude them from applying online may contact the Program to make other arrangements to apply for a scholarship.

Evaluation: Applications that are fully completed and submitted in accordance with the application requirements will be evaluated for the scholarship (Traditional and Adult Learner) applied for in accordance with the evaluation rubrics in effect at the time for each scholarship component. Though the rubrics will not be disclosed publicly, the completeness, accuracy and quality of the information submitted by an applicant on their application will be evaluated and considered by a panel of reviewers.

Selection: Applications are first reviewed by Great Jobs KC Staff members to confirm eligibility. After initial review, volunteer Scholarship Reviewers review the Personal Statements, Involvements and Commitments, and Recommendation sections of the applications. After internal and external application scores are combined, a final review is conducted internally. Great Jobs KC staff select awardees based on this comprehensive scoring.

Key Dates:

The KC Scholars application opens annually on January 1st and is open throughout the months of January and February.
The 2027 Awards Day for the Adult Learner Scholarship is February 12, 2027.

Maintaining Eligibility

Scholars do not need to prove eligibility after their first year of scholarship support but will need to fill out paperwork and participate in meetings and supports on a regular basis to remain eligible for scholarship payments.

Additional Information and Resources

KC Scholars College Network: A network of colleges and universities that partner with Great Jobs KC to support scholars.
Federal Student Aid Estimator: An online tool to estimate the Student Aid Index (SAI).
FIND YOUR COLLEGE TOOL: A resource to help students decide which university or college is right for them.
Informational Sessions: Attend sessions to learn more about all programs.
KC Scholars SAI Video Guide: A video guide to learn more.
KC Scholars SAI Guide: For more information on determining your SAI Index.

Benefits for Awardees

As an Adult Learner Scholarship awardee, you will receive benefits in addition to financial assistance. Great Jobs KC will match each awardee with an Adult Learner Advocate and connect them with support at one of our partner colleges and universities to provide one-on-one and group advising, assistance with the college enrollment process, FAFSA completion assistance, and referrals to campus and community resources.

Common Questions

How do I know if I meet KC Scholars’ low- or modest-income requirements? To be considered income eligible for the purposes of the Great Jobs KC - KC Scholars application, your Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation on the Federal Student Aid Estimator must be 12,000 or less.
Can I apply if I am currently enrolled in college? Yes. Both currently enrolled students and adults planning to enroll in Fall 2026 are eligible to apply for the Adult Learner Scholarship.
Can I apply even if I am not sure if my previous classes will transfer to another college? Yes, you can apply for the Adult Learner Scholarship if you meet all the minimum eligibility requirements.
Can I apply if I need to work and can only go back to college part-time? Yes, we realize that most adults have a lot to juggle. Recipients of the Adult Learner Scholarship may go to college part-time or full-time.
How much are the scholarships for? Adult Learners can receive up to $12,500 per year, depending on number of terms enrolled during the academic year, enrollment status per term, and institution of enrollment. Scholarship completion points are the earning of a bachelor's degree, $25,000 in total scholarship payments, or completion of 6 academic years since scholarship awarding.
How will I receive my scholarship? Do I have to attend one of the colleges and universities in the Great Jobs KC - KC Scholars Scholarship Program network?
Can I use the scholarship to take online courses? What if I move out of the eligible six-county area? You must be a resident of one of these six counties at the time of scholarship application: Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte, Missouri, and, Wyandotte and Johnson, Kansas.
Can I stop going to college and still use my scholarship when I return? You must be enrolled to receive a scholarship payment. Students that do not plan to enroll in a given term will notify Great Jobs KC and connect with Great Jobs KC staff regarding future enrollment and scholarship utilization plan for future terms. Regardless of enrollment status for a specific term, the 6-year scholarship eligibility period does not pause.

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