South KC Perspective
By John Sharp
Low and modest income adults 24 and older who live in the six-county metropolitan area and have completed at least 12 hours of college credits but have not gotten their degrees, or who have associate’s degrees and want to complete their bachelor’s degrees, can apply to the nonprofit KC Scholars organization through February 25 for adult learner scholarships of up to $5,000 annually for up to five years.
Persons who live in Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte Counties in Missouri or in Johnson or Wyandotte Counties in Kansas may go online to kcscholars.org for more information or to apply for the scholarships that will be available starting for the 2022 fall semester.
Applicants must not have been enrolled in a postsecondary institution during the 2021 fall semester, but may be enrolled this spring semester or enroll for summer classes paid for by other funds.
Last month KC Scholars awarded 74 adult learner scholarships including one to a former Center High School student, three to former Grandview High School students and three to former Ruskin High School students. Up to 126 more adult learner scholarships will be awarded in early May to those selected from the current application process, according to Beth Tankersley-Bankhead, president and CEO.
To receive the scholarships adult learners must attend any of the 16 community colleges, colleges or universities in Kansas and Missouri, many in the Kansas City area, and the one online university that are part of KC Scholars postsecondary network and have agreed to assure the adult learners are well supported.
She said since KC Scholars began in 2016 and granted its first scholarships in 2017, 856 adult learner scholarships have been awarded.
KC Scholars also awards at least 250 traditional scholarships of up to $10,000 a year for up to five years to 11th graders from low to modest income families in its six-county service area every year. Recipients must attend any of the schools that are part of KC Scholars postsecondary network to receive the scholarships.
The organization awards up to 200 one-time college savings account one to one matches of up to $1,000 every year to 9th graders from low to modest income families in its service area. Participants also can receive one-time $400 incentive payments for achieving specified milestones each year from the 9th through the 12th grade to prepare them for college. Recipients must attend any of the schools in the postsecondary network to receive the matching funds and incentive payments.
The deadlines for applying for the traditional scholarships and the college savings account matches and incentive payments also are February 25, and persons may go online to kcscholars.org for more information or to apply for them too.
Altogether, over 5,000 scholarships and college savings matches have been awarded by KC Scholars during the last five years.