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 continuously for a minimum of one year immediately prior to attending a post-secondary institution. (Moving within the three counties does not constitute a break in residency.)
   
   
3. A student who has moved to Coffey, Lyon, or Osage County and immediately begins a post-secondary education is not eligible for educational or medical assistance.
   
   
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 $550.00 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?

Each year, beginning April 1st, applications are available for pick up in our office. For high school seniors who wish to apply, the application is made available to all area high school counselors. Whenever possible, we encourage you to stop by your counselor’s office and request the application. Applications must be received in our office, either by mail or in person, no later than July 15th for the fall semester. If you plan to begin your education in the spring, applications must be received no later than December 15th.

Generally the Jones Foundation requires you to include in our application 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.

Carefully complete the application in its entirety. It is important that you print legibly and use blue or black ink. Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the office for an explanation. Once completed, the application (and supporting documents) must be mailed or personally returned to our office. Please make sure that you have the correct amount of postage when mailing your application to avoid it being returned to you. This is critical, as it could result in your application not being received by the July 15th deadline. The application cannot be faxed.

The following documents must be furnished before the Board of Trustees can review your application.

• A complete copy of your Final Student Aid Report. This is not the copy of your FAFSA application, but the results of your processed FAFSA application sent to you from the Department of Education. If you provided a working e-mail address or submitted the report electronically (preferred method) the Department of Education will provide your report via e-mail. It is important that you read this report and print a complete copy for your records.
  
  
• A copy of your most recent Financial Aid Award Letter from the institution you will attend. (We suggest that you print this immediately prior to sending your application to insure your most recent copy is included.) This letter allows us to see what other resources are available to you. Of these resources, we look only at free money (Pell Grant, Kansas Comprehensive Grant, FSEOG and private scholarships). It is possible you will have enough resources in the form of free money to pay for your tuition plus fees and books without assistance from the Jones Foundation. Should this be the case, we will notify you after the Board of Trustees has made this decision.
  
  
• A transcript of your previous education records. This can be:
  
  a. A complete copy of your final high school transcript. If you are currently a high school senior, you will be able to obtain this from your high school upon graduation or shortly thereafter.
  
  b. A copy of your General Education Development Diploma if you did not graduate from high school but finished a GED course in Kansas or elsewhere.
  
  c. A copy of your complete transcript if you have attended a college or trade school prior to your first application to the Jones Foundation. Copies printed from the school's web-site are acceptable if your name is printed as part of the transcript.
  
  d. If you have previously received a Jones Foundation grant and are re-applying, a copy of your latest final grade report must be submitted.
  
  
  
• Copies of various proofs of income
  
  a. If you are a dependent student, you must provide a copy of your parent's Federal Income Tax Return (including all schedules and W-2s) for last year. You must also provide copies of your parent's pay stubs for the most recent complete month prior to this application.
  
  b. Your Federal Income Tax Return for last year (if you filed), or a letter stating why you were not required to file a tax return. If you worked, but were not required to file a tax return, you must provide copies of all W-2s.
  
  c. If you, the student, are currently employed, you must also submit copies of your pay stubs for the most recent complete month prior to this application.
  
  d. Proof of all other household income (if applicable.)
  
  

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

1. Permanent address: Your address at school will likely change several times during your college career. As long as you are dependent you should use your parent's address for important information to be mailed to you. This address maintains your residency in Coffey, Lyon, or Osage County. If you are independent you must notify us if your address changes.
   
   
2. Special financial circumstances: Use this section to explain any anticipated difference between you or your parent's adjusted gross income on the current Federal Tax return and changes to your current income. Financial situations can change due to the loss of a job, loss of a family member, divorce or unusual medical expenses, etc. Other special circumstances may be the result of professional judgment by the college.
   
   
3. Change of Plans: 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 provide, 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 written 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

• It is your responsibility to insure that all requested information has been received by the Jones Foundation. If needed, the office will send one letter only requesting additional information.
  
  
• 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 post-secondary education grants are awarded one year at a time, for the fall and spring semester.
  
  
• July 15th is the last date we can accept applications requesting assistance with fall and spring post-secondary education.
  
  
• December 15th is the last date we can accept applications for assistance with spring post-secondary 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 please re-apply.

If Awarded A Post-Secondary 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 after every paid semester. The Jones Foundation will not forward grant payment to your school for the next semester until we receive your grades.
  
  

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.