Eligibility Requirements

1. There is no age restriction for post-secondary education grants.
   
   
2. The applicant must be a United States Citizen and a current resident of Coffey, Lyon, or Osage County, Kansas. Current resident is defined as someone who has resided in one of the three counties (or a combination of the three) for at least one year uninterrupted. If the student moves into one of the three counties and starts college before establishing the required one year residency, they are not eligible to apply for any Jones Foundation assistance.
   
   
3. The applicant must display a financial need which is determined by our Board of Trustees. This determination is based upon information provided in the application, as well as in the supporting financial information submitted with each application.
   
   
4. The applicant must display a financial need. This determination is made by our board of Trustees and based on information that you complete on our application, as well as financial information you are required to submit.
   
   
5. The applicant must be a high school graduate or GED recipient.
   
   
6. The applicant must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If notified that you are not eligible for the Pell Grant, you can still apply for Jones Foundation assistance.
   
   
7. The applicant must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours at one accredited institution. Accredited institutions can be 4 year or 2 year, public or private, in-state or out-of-state, or technical colleges. Trade schools are single purpose schools and are considered on a case by case basis.

With What Do We Assist?

The Jones Foundation assists qualified applicants with a portion of the cost for their post-secondary (after high school) education at an accredited institution of their choice. The Jones Foundation can assist with public or private institutions as well as in-state or out-of-state institutions. The Jones Foundation does not assist with post-graduate degrees.

The Jones Foundation does limit assistance to the cost of tuition (including some fees) and a maximum of $1,000 per year for books. Customarily we will pay for fall and spring semesters only up to a maximum total of eight. Rarely will we assist with a summer semester and we never consider living expenses.

Because there are no restrictions placed on the institution you attend, costs vary considerably. For this reason, the foundation does limit the tuition amount awarded to those students choosing to attend private or out-of-state institutions. The most this student can receive is tuition costs equivalent to attending the most expensive Kansas Regents University. The tuition cost may change each year and usually alternates between the University of Kansas and Kansas State University.

If you choose to attend a technical school, the Jones Foundation may award up to a maximum of $1,250 per semester for no more than a total of four semesters. Each semester of attendance at a technical school exhausts one of the eight semesters of funding available.

Trade schools are defined as a single-purpose institution and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. If you choose to attend a trade school, the Jones Foundation customarily pays up to a maximum of $1,000. This will exhaust two of the eight semesters of funding available.

What Is The Application Process?

IMPORTANT! Beginning May 2010, applications will be exclusively electronic and found only on this website. No longer will there be paper applications available for completion.

Typically, applications are available each year beginning May 1 and are due July 15 if you are applying for the upcoming fall and spring semesters. If you plan to begin your education in the spring of the following year, applications are due no later than December 15 of the current year.

Generally the Jones Foundation requires you to include in our application much of the same information you provided to complete the FAFSA. The Department of Education will determine whether you are dependent or independent. If you provided your parent's information when completing the FAFSA or the Department of Education has requested your parent's information then you are (more than likely) dependent. Generally the Jones Foundation acknowledges the Department of Education's designation.

Should questions arise when completing the application, please don't hesitate to contact the office for assistance. Before the application can be submitted, all supporting documents will need to be uploaded into the application and then submitted. Make sure to have either a fax machine or scanner available for this purpose. It is recommended that you create an account and familiarize yourself with the application and the required documents before you begin the process.

Have the following documents available when completing the application:

Final SAR (Student Aid Report)
High School Transcript, GED, or other OFFICIAL Transcript
Student's Current Federal Income Tax Return, if filed
Most Recent Financial Aid Award Letter

Parents will need:
Copies of Check Stubs
Other Household Income
Complete Current Individual Federal Income Tax Return including all schedules, if applicable
Signed Agreement

Independent Students will submit all of the above

When completing our application, please pay particular attention to the following areas:

IMPORTANT! If you completed our application for one institution and you plan to attend a different institution, please notify us immediately. Our grants are not transferable and the change must be reviewed by our Board of Trustees. Before the change can be reviewed, additional information will be required. This will, more than likely, result in the delay of the Board’s decision.

Once the application is completed and all supporting documents have been provided, the application is reviewed by our Board of Trustees at the next monthly board meeting. All applicants who satisfactorily complete the application process will receive notification of the Board’s decision once processed. It is office policy that we do not give out board decisions by phone or in person. Please remember that the Board of Trustees decision is final.

Important Information You Need To Know

• You must re-apply each year and the grant amount can vary from year to year, based upon financial need at that time. Jones Foundation undergraduate education grants are awarded one year at a time, for the fall and spring semester.
  
  
• Customarily, July 15 is the last date we can accept applications for assistance with fall and spring undergraduate education.
  
  
• If you plan to begin your education in the spring, December 15 is the last date we can accept applications for assistance with spring undergraduate education.
  
  
• Should your request be denied the first year, you are still eligible to apply for assistance the following year. If your family's financial situation deteriorates, or changes in other scholarships and grants occur, we encourage you to re-apply.

If Awarded An Undergraduate Education Grant, What Are My Responsibilities?

• You will sign and return the Jones Foundation Award Letter immediately.
  
  
• You will maintain residency in Coffey, Lyon, or Osage County while attending school. As long as you are dependent, we will look at the residency of your parent(s).
  
  
• You will successfully complete a minimum of 12 credit hours.
  
  
• You will achieve and maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average.
  
  
• You will furnish a copy of your grades reflecting your CGPA after every semester you receive Jones Foundation funding. Failure to provide your grades will result in the non-payment of your spring semester funding.
  
  

If you don’t fulfill these requirements for the fall semester the Jones Foundation will cancel your spring grant. You are not eligible to re-apply until you have fulfilled these requirements on your own.

If you withdraw from a class or from school altogether, you must notify us within 15 working days of your withdrawal date. Generally, in this case, you aren’t eligible to re-apply until you have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours on your own. In some cases, the Board has made the decision that a student isn’t eligible for any further funding.

If you experience an unforeseen circumstance that may affect your ability to fulfill the requirements of our program, you must notify us within 15 working days of the onset of the problem.

Undergraduate Education Agreement
Download .PDF format - 39 Kb

BEGIN THE APPLICATION