Scholarship Application

General Scholarship Eligibility Criteria

·  Must be a United States Citizen and less than 22 years of age at the time of the first award.

·  Must have submitted a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application and are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant.

·  Must have demonstrated successful participation in Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP.

·  Must provide documentation of a minimum of a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 grading scale on High school transcript as well as for all college work.

·  Must have received a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, the General Education Development (GED) Certificate or will receive a diploma by May/June of application year.

·  Must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a program of instruction at a 4-year accredited institution or a two year accredited institution with plans to complete an undergraduate degree.

Application Process

To ensure your application is reviewed and processed as quickly and accurately as possible, please read and follow these procedures and requirements:

·  Complete the Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP scholarship application, activities chart, and include an official copy of your high school transcript that shows graduation date.

·  Include one complete recommendation letter. This letter should be from a teacher, employer, adult friend, or mentor. The letter should be an appraisal of the applicant on the basis of the following: evidence of ability to identify and use support systems or services, career goals and planning, academic preparedness for post-secondary education, and community service and work experience, especially in regards to the subject the applicant wishes to study. The letter should contain the recommender’s name and title, institution/organization, their relationship to applicant, their address, phone number, and e-mail address. The letter must be in a sealed envelope with the signature of the person making the referral written across the seal of the envelope. Envelopes with broken seals will not be accepted.

·  Submit a Financial Aid Award Letter and an official invoice from the institution you plan to attend. Note: you must be enrolled in your classes to receive the invoice. Also, remember that acceptance of Federal Work-Study will reduce the amount of aid you are eligible to receive.

·  Type a one-page personal statement. Highlight your special interests, talents, goals, or unique experiences, and include your long-range goals.

·  Provide only the items requested in the enclosures. Items should not be stapled to the application.

·  Submit requested documents with the application form to ensure items are available for review at the same time. The Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP Scholarship Review Committee cannot assume responsibility for matching items received separately.

·  Address complete applications to your regional Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP. Your local representative will confirm completion and accuracy of the application. (Refer to Application Checklist, page 4)

·  Be advised, applications and attachments become property of the selection committee and will not be returned to the applicant.

Notice of Non Discrimination

Wichita State University does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a Vietnam Era Veteran or disability. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies: Director, Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Wichita State University, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita KS 67260-0001; telephone (316)978-3001.

Scholarship Application

Please return no later than May 31st of each Academic Year.

Budget Worksheet for college

You will need to thoroughly consider your expenses before enrolling in college to determine affordability and to minimize dependence on student loans. You may use this worksheet to estimate whether you are “need eligible” for the KK@GU scholarship. To do this you should total your expenses for tuition, fees, books, room & board and then subtract this number from the total of your awards (excluding student loans).

Living Arrangements while at college: ___ At home ___ In apartment ___ In dorm (cost ______per semester)

Per Semester Per Year

Total Awards (scholarships + grants + Pell grant +EFC) ______

Total expenses (tuition, fees, room & board)* ______

Book Allowance $500______$1000____

Unmet Financial Need ______

*If you are planning to live off-campus (and not at home), you will need to provide a copy of your lease-agreement showing the cost of your rent and listing all other occupants residing there. If you are living off-campus, you must purchase a school meal plan in order to apply food expenses to your budget.

**You may be asked to provide receipts or other evidence of required expenses.

***If your total Awards are greater than your total expenses you might not be eligible for this “need based” scholarship

Other expenses (not addressed by this scholarship) that you will need to plan for: Transportation, Clothing, Outside Tutoring, Entertainment, Utilities, Healthcare, costs of art supplies or musical instruments (if applicable).

Scholarship Application

Please return no later than May 31st of each Academic Year.

Scholarship Application

Application Checklist

Eligibility checklist: (you must meet ALL requirements)

□  I am a United States Citizen

□  I am under the age of 22

□  I am eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant according to my current SAR (Student Aid Report)

□  I have demonstrated successful participation in Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP

□  My current grade point average (GPA) is 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 grading scale

□  I have received a high school diploma or a GED Certificate, or will receive a high school diploma or a GED Certificate in May/June this year

□  I have been accepted into an accredited post-secondary school or program and have attached a letter of acceptance to this application

□  Scholarship Application Form (3 pages: application, activities chart, and release form)

□  One-page, typed personal statement

□  One letter of recommendation (sealed) and letter of recommendation form

□  Official invoice(s) showing cost of attendance from the institution you will attend

□  Copy of Financial Aid Award letter from institution you will attend

□  Official high school transcript showing graduation date

______

Wichita State University

Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP

Information Release Form

I, ______, authorize the financial aid office of any school to release information concerning any and all financial aid resources I may be receiving. I authorize Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP (KKGU) to receive and review my high school and post-high school transcripts.

I give KKGU permission to use my name, any photograph and any writings provided to KKGU, to be used in any of its publication materials, reports, press releases, or activities associated with its scholarship programs. I understand that all financial information is and shall remain, confidential.

I certify that all of the information supplied in this application packet is true and correct to the best of my ability. I understand that all information is subject to verification and providing false information will result in termination of any scholarship granted.

______

Printed Name Social Security Number

______

Signature Date

Form to Accompany Scholarship Letter of Recommendation

Please return no later than May 31st

One letter of recommendation is required. Clearly print the information needed and sign this section before giving this to your recommender. Letter should be from a teacher, employer, adult friend, or mentor.

Part I – to be completed by the applicant

Applicant’s Name ______

Social Security Number ______

Applicant’s Address ______

______

Phone Number (s) ______

E-mail Address ______

College attending ______

Applicant’s Signature ______Date ______

Part II – to be completed by the reference

The applicant named above has requested your recommendation for a post-secondary scholarship from Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP. We would greatly appreciate your appraisal of the applicant on the basis of the following:

·  Evidence of ability to identify and use support systems or services

·  Career goals and planning

·  Academic preparedness for post-secondary education

·  Community service and work experience, especially in regards to the subject the applicant wishes to study

Name/Title ______

Institution/Organization ______

Relationship to applicant ______

Address ______

______

Phone Number(s) ______

E-mail Address ______

Please complete this form and return it with your letter in a sealed envelope to the applicant, who will include it with their application packet. Your letter must be in an enclosed envelope with your signature written across the seal. If the seal is broken the application is void.

Signature______Date______

1 11/7/11