• Grants
• Eligibility
• Scholarships

Q. What type of grants does the Foundation fund?

The Foundation funds grants that significantly enhance the quality of life in Kansas through:

• Arts
• Environmental stewardship
• Human services
• Enablement of at-risk youth
• Education

Q. What types of grants fall outside the Foundation’s funding guidelines?

The Foundation does not seek proposals in support of:

• Individuals (other than the Koch Scholarship Awards Program)
• Individual schools, churches and related programs
• Venture capital grants/loans
• Fundraising events
• Athletic associations and sporting events/teams
• Trip and tour sponsorships
• Initiatives outside of Kansas, including national sponsorships and  international requests
• Political, legislative, lobbying or fraternal organizations
• Endowment funds
• Capital campaigns (proposal considered only for organizations that have received previous Fred C. and Mary R. Koch Foundation grants)

Q. When are grant proposals accepted?

Completed grant requests are accepted throughout the year. However, complete proposals must be received by October 1 to be reviewed and considered for approval at the annual board meeting.

Q. When are Foundation grants awarded?

The majority of grants are awarded in December following the annual board of directors’ meeting.

Q. Are multi-year grants awarded by the Foundation?

Occasionally. The majority of grants awarded are for one year only. Multi-year grant requests are accepted for review.

 

Q. Who is eligible for a grant?

The Koch Foundation funds grants primarily to charitable 501(c)3 organizations for Kansas-based initiatives. The Foundation does not make contributions to individuals.

Q. Does the Foundation support post secondary educational institutions?

Only accredited educational institutions are eligible to apply with funding support focused on Kansas-based program initiatives.

Q. What information is required for grant proposals to be considered for funding?

The following information is required for a grant proposal to be considered:

Brief letter (no more than 3 pages) on organization letterhead including:

1. Statement of organization's mission, goals and brief history
2. Grand funding amount requested
3. Organization contact information
4. Grant proposal summary

Additional documentation requested (enclose with letter):

1. Financial information
2. List of organization's board of directors
3. Tax documentation

 

Q. What is the value of the Fred C. and Mary R. Koch Foundation scholarships?

The amount of the scholarships is $1,500.

Q. Can Koch company employees or spouses apply for the scholarships?

No. Applicants must be a dependent (as shown on the most current filed income tax return) of a parent or legal guardian who is a full-time employee of Koch Industries, Inc., Koch Holding, LLC or any of their wholly owned subsidiaries* in the U.S. or Canada with a minimum of one year of service by March 1, 2008.

Q. Are dependents of employees of Georgia-Pacific eligible?

No. Georgia-Pacific will continue its independent scholarship program. Dependents of employees of Georgia-Pacific are only eligible to apply for the Georgia-Pacific Foundation Scholarship Awards. Please contact the Georgia-Pacific Foundation at (404) 652-4182 for additional details.

Q. The account login screen asks for an email address and password.  How are passwords assigned?

In the scholarship application account login screen, the applicant must enter an email address and select the option 'I am a new online applicant,' then press continue and create a password.

Q. My school will not provide an electronic copy of my official transcript.  Are unofficial online grade reports acceptable?

Applicants can request official transcripts, scan and attach to their application if the school cannot provide an electronic version. Online unofficial transcripts will not be accepted.

Q. Most Canadian schools cannot submit transcripts in the American 4.0 GPA scale. Are Canadian applicants still eligible to apply?

Yes. Although transcripts are requested in American grade point values, the Foundation has a GPA conversion chart on the website for use by Canadian applicants.

Q. My school does not record grades until the end of the school year. How do I submit first semester grades with my transcript as required for application?

Many Canadian schools and some U.S. schools do not report grades until the end of the school year. Please request a mid-year grade report, or transcript with in-progress courses listed. If your school is willing to provide mid-year grades, although not listed on your transcript, GPA calculation tools (available on the website) may be utilized to calculate your current GPA.

Q. For high school students submitting SAT scores, how should the SAT composite score be calculated and which test categories are utilized?

For calculating SAT scores, all three totals (math, critical reading and writing) should be added together. If the test has been taken more than once, the highest score from each of the three categories should be used.

Q. Are scholarships available for graduate studies?

No. Fred C. and Mary R. Koch Foundation scholarships are available for full-time undergraduate studies only.

Q. How many scholarships are awarded?

In compliance with IRS regulations, a maximum of 25 percent (1 out of 4) of all qualified applications received may be awarded scholarships. This does not apply to renewal scholarships.

Q. Is cumulative GPA considered for scholarship renewal?

No. Grades are considered for the entire previous year (2007 spring/fall semesters and any summer course work). The GPA for each grading period, and the corresponding credit hours can be entered using our online calculation tool to determine if your GPA meets the required level to be considered for automatic renewal. If you are a college freshman and you maintained a 3.5 GPA your first semester of college, your high school grades do not need to be factored in for calculation.

Q. My parent works for a recent acquisition of a Koch company. Am I eligible to apply?

If the recent acquisition is a wholly owned subsidiary of Koch Industries, Inc. or Koch Holdings, Inc., and the date of the acquisition is prior to September 1, 2007, dependents would be eligible to apply if they meet other eligibility criteria.

Q. If I submit a transcript for renewal of my scholarship, do I need to submit another transcript at the end of the spring 2008 semester?

If you are a 2007 scholarship recipient and your transcript previously submitted contains final grades for the 2007 fall semester demonstrating you were a full-time undergraduate student during the period for which the scholarship award was intended, you do not need to submit an additional transcript at the end of the school year.

Q. I am the full-time provider for my child, but their other parent claims them as a dependent. Is my child eligible to apply?

Scholarship guidelines state the applicant must be a dependent (as shown on the most current filed income tax return) of a parent or legal guardian who is a full-time employee of Koch Industries, Inc., Koch Holdings, Inc., or any of their wholly owned subsidiaries, (excluding Georgia-Pacific). If the dependent is not claimed on your most current filed income tax return, they are not eligible to apply.

Q. I’ve changed schools several times. Do I need to submit a transcript from each school attended, or only the most recent?

If the most recent transcript reflects the history of grades transferred from previous schools, then only the current transcript would be needed. If the previous history is not included on the most current school transcript, additional transcripts would be required with your application.

Q. I studied abroad last semester and my grades have not yet been received from my foreign school. How can I provide a current GPA?

A preliminary grade report should be requested from the foreign school. The calculation tools available online can assist you with computing your GPA.

Q. I studied abroad and my grades have not been translated to a percentage or letter grade. How can I accurately convert my grades to the American 4.0 system?

In many cases, either the foreign school, or the current school can supply a scale for translating the grades to letter or percentage grades. An explanation of the grade conversion should be submitted with the foreign grades. The online calculation tools can assist you with determining your GPA.

Q. If I don’t maintain the 3.5 GPA renewal requirement can I still reapply?

In cases where a renewal applicant does not qualify for automatic renewal, the applicant may reapply for formal selection if the student continues to meet eligibility requirements for new applicants.

Q. How are scholarship recipients selected?

An independent scholarship committee bases its decision on a variety of factors including GPA, ACT/SAT scores, essay, letter of recommendation, honors, community service, and school activities.

Q. Can the scholarship committee’s decision be appealed?

No. Award decisions made by the scholarship committee are final.

Q. Can I take undergraduate courses concurrently with graduate courses and still receive the scholarship?

Scholarship guidelines state the applicant must be a full-time undergraduate student (minimum of 12 undergraduate hours of credit per semester). Graduate level courses do not apply to the hour requirement.

Q. Can the scholarship award be utilized for off-campus housing expenses while attending school?

No. Scholarship awards are made payable jointly to the recipient and the school. The award applies to school expenses only.

Q. I am participating in a co-op program. Am I still eligible for application or renewal?

If a student participates in a co-op program through their college or university, they must be considered a full-time student of the school while participating in the program to be eligible for application or renewal during the co-op time period.