Financial Aid Resources

What is the basic process of applying for federal financial aid?

To apply for federal student aid, such as federal grants, work-study, and loans, you need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  

  • Step 1: Begin your FAFSA process by creating a Federal Student Aid account (FSA ID) at https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account. This will be your personal account for submitting the FAFSA when you're ready. Your FSA ID will give you access to the federal aid online systems and can serve as your legal signature.

  • Step 2: Use your FSA ID to file the FAFSA at https://FAFSA.gov.  Federal student aid applications can be submitted starting October 1, so submit your FAFSA as soon as possible.  Federal financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so apply as early as you can to maximize your financial aid.

  • Step 3: Once your FAFSA is processed, you will receive a Student Aid Report.  Review this report to make sure there are no errors on your FAFSA. 

Do I have to file the FAFSA each year I am in school?

Yes.  The FAFSA addresses many different factors when determining your eligibility for student aid and those factors may change slightly from year to year.  You should file a FAFSA for every year that you plan to attend college in order to be considered for financial aid.

What information will I need in order to fill out the 2023-2024 FAFSA?

  • Your Social Security Number (or Alien Registration Number if you are not a U.S. citizen)

  • Your 2021 federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. (Note: You may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.)

  • Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)

  • Records of untaxed income (if applicable)

  • An FSA ID to sign electronically.

  • If you are a dependent student, then you will also need most of the above information for your parent(s).

School-Sponsored Scholarships

Students at Kapaun Mt. Carmel have several college scholarships available to them, created by the KMC community and alumni over the years. See your counselor for information regarding the application process. 

Shea-Campbell Scholarship
The Shea-Campbell Scholarship is given to three seniors who have established a solid pattern of stewardship through his or her high school years, with particular emphasis to students whose volunteer hours have greatly exceeded KMC’s required service hours. Edd and Hazel Shea and Joseph and Elaine Campbell were strong supporters of Catholic education and placed a great value on their own children pursuing studies beyond high school while making a continual impact on their local community. In their memory, the scholarship has been established to assist a graduate attending a Catholic college or university, a graduate attending Rockhurst University, and a graduate attending Wichita State University. 

Sisters of Charity, BVM Endowed Scholarship
For a graduating senior at Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School to assist with payment of tuition to continue his/her post-secondary education at a Catholic college or university.

The maximum annual amount of the endowed scholarship will be the lesser of $2,000 or 5% of the principal amount. The scholarship may be awarded to a single individual or divided amount multiple recipients. Click HERE to apply. 

Renee LaFever Memorial Scholarship
The Renee LaFever Memorial Scholarship was established to honor Renee LaFever, a selfless teacher, mentor and friend to thousands of KMC students during her 25+ year career. She encouraged students to live their faith and exemplified what it means to be a follower of Christ. This scholarship is awarded to a college-bound senior who has taken a psychology or sociology course and who embodies the characteristics that Renee found so important, imitating her “unbounded capacity to love.” Please see your counselor for more details. 

Lauri Wenberg Memorial Arts Scholarship
The Lauri Wenberg Memorial Arts Scholarship was established to honor the memory of Lauri Southard Wenberg, KMC parent of alumni. This scholarship goes to a senior who is an outstanding example of their Catholic faith, who has a passion for the arts and who will pursue the arts during their college career. The recipient is chosen by faculty members in the Fine Arts Department. Please see your counselor for more details.

Alice Knorr Fine Arts Memorial Award & Scholarship
This award and scholarship is a tribute to the spirit and character exhibited by Alice Knorr ’85 while she was a student at KMC. A Homecoming queen, yearbook editor and winner of the Bishop’s Crest Award who died from cancer shortly after her graduation from KMC, Alice exhibited courage and a zest for living that continues to serve as a lasting inspiration to all. This was award is given each year to an outstanding senior in the visual or performing arts. No application is necessary.

woman and student holding paper

lafever

KMC Yearbook

Outside Scholarships

Catholic Diocese of Wichita Scholarships
The Catholic Diocese of Wichita has several scholarship opportunities available to seniors.  For more information or to apply for any of the scholarship listed below, visit the CDOW scholarship page HERE. 

Iris Scholarship:
The purpose of the Iris Scholarship Fund is to provide a $500 scholarship to a Catholic high school graduate within the Diocese of Wichita, who will or is currently attending a college or university in Kansas.

John and Kristen Clevenger Memorial Scholarship:
The John and Kristen Clevenger Memorial Scholarship was created originally to honor John Clevenger who died suddenly in July 2017. Nearly two years later in June 2019, his wife Kristen died. John and Kristen’s family and friends have created a scholarship of $2,500/year for up to four years to a college bound student who attended Holy Savior Catholic Academy. The applicant will exemplify service to others, hard work, and dedication to those less fortunate than themselves. 

N.J. Gessler, Jr. Pharmacy Scholarship:
The N.J. Gessler, Jr. Pharmacy Scholarship Fund was created to honor the memory of N.J. Gessler, a pioneer in the Wichita Pharmacy market. Upon his passing, the family created this fund to provide support for a student graduating from a diocesan Catholic High School pursuing an education in Pharmacy. 

Ray of Hope Scholarship:
The Ray of Hope Scholarship Fund provides an opportunity for a current senior in high school who might not be able to experience a post-secondary education/training without significant financial assistance. The scholarship will pay between $3,000 to $5,000 per semester depending on the college or trade school chosen. The award can be used for tuition, books and fees. After initial award is made, the scholarship can be renewed for up to seven continuous semesters, depending on the school chosen. As this scholarship follows one student for up to eight continuous semesters, it will not be available every year.

Sr. Loretta Thome, ASC Scholarship:
The Sr. Loretta Thome, ASC Scholarship provides a $1,000 grant each fall and spring semester for up to 10 consecutive semesters for two Catholic graduates in the current year of Bishop Carroll or Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic high schools or a Catholic parishioner graduating from Garden Plain or Andale high schools who will study accounting, business, math, science, library science, computer science, elementary or secondary education, nursing or pre-med while in college.

St. Pius X Nursing Scholarship:
The St. Pius X Nursing Scholarship provides scholarship support to qualifying students attending Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, KS. One (1) $1,000 scholarship will be awarded per academic year for use toward the recipient’s tuition, books, and/or student fees. Selected recipient should exemplify a strong Catholic faith and involvement in the St. Pius X Student Center.

Visions of the Future Scholarship:
The purpose of this scholarship is to assist anyone in the Catholic Diocese of Wichita who will be attending a Catholic college or Catholic university.

College Board Opportunity Scholarships
This new scholarship program guides you through the college planning process and offers you a chance to earn money for college for each action you complete.  For more information or to begin this program, click HERE.

Wichita Community Foundation Scholarships

The WCF has assembled a variety of scholarships that are available to your students! Each scholarship has various criteria, but there’s something there for everyone! Some of these apply to community colleges, vocational and tech schools, seminary, etc, not just universities!  Here is the link to access and apply: https://wichitacf.org/scholarships/available-scholarships

GPACAC Scholarships

GPACAC proudly offers annual scholarships to students attending high school in the three GPACAC membership states, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The scholarships include the counselor nominated, student scholarship, and Paul Max service scholarship.  The due date is February 15 annually. Applications can be found at https://www.gpacac.net/scholarships. 

Scholarship Deadlines By Months

Click HERE to access a month-by-month rundown of scholarship deadlines. Click on the links in the document for more information and to apply. See your counselor with any questions.

Scholarships by University

Please find links below to scholarship pages for the schools our students most commonly attend.  If you would like KMC to add a link to a certain university or if you locate an out-of-date link, please let the counseling department know.

Benedictine College

Emporia State University

Kansas State University

Newman University

Oklahoma State University

University of Kansas

Wichita State University

Diversity/Multicultural Scholarships

Workshops & Other Opportunities

Hispanic College Institute

Fort Hays State University will be hosting a four-day residential summer Hispanic College Institute for sophomores and juniors.  Attendees will learn more about the admissions process and the overall college experience.  The event is entirely free, and includes food and transportation to Fort Hays.  To apply or get more information at: https://www.fhsu.edu/hci/.

Webinars for Parents
Preparing your child for college can be stressful.  To help guide you through this important time, College Board has hosted a series of parent webinars with college planning experts sharing what you need to know throughout your child's high school career.  View webinars HERE.

KU Engineering High School Summer Camps

Project Discovery is a week long, intensive learning camp for high school students (entering grades 9-12) with a day or overnight option.  Campers choose from different engineering disciplines (Such as Aerospace, Biomedical, Computer Science, and many others) and work closely with KU faculty and graduate students as they complete a hands-on project. Held on KU’s Lawrence campus, students will get an up-close view of KU and the School of Engineering classrooms and labs. Get additional information at: www.engr.ku.edu/camps.

Spirit Aerosystems Youth Apprenticeship

Students in this paid summer program ($12 hour) receive practical and applicable insight into sheet metal and composites assembly, fabrication, machining, manufacturing engineering, and quality inspection.  Registration information can be found at: https://workforce-ks.com/communityoutreach/youthemploymentproject/