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Great Jobs KC

Making Careers Possible Through Scholarships: Great Jobs KC and Partners Award Nearly $48 Million, with More to Come

Kansas City, Saturday, June 22, 2024 – Great Jobs KC, through its KC Scholars scholarship program, and its college partners are distributing nearly $48 million in scholarships to residents in the metropolitan area, another significant step forward toward the organization’s goal of helping Kansas City area residents secure good-paying jobs in meaningful careers.

The first round of traditional scholarships, awarded on May 1st, features 264 awards of $50,000 each and 252 College Savings Match awards of $1,400 each. Applicants and their high schools were notified, and the schools were encouraged to celebrate their scholars. The scholarships are good at any of Great Jobs KC’s 20 college partners in the region.

A second round of Institution-Sponsored scholarships will be awarded May 30. These scholarships, valued at $50,000 each, will come from the individual college partners and would be good at the college or university that grants the scholarship.

Great Jobs KC will celebrate all of its 2024 Awardees at a Make Your Mark event on Saturday, June 22 at the Kansas City Convention Center with staff, college partners, friends, and family in attendance. This event will spotlight the special legacy and investment in Kansas City that was started by Ewing Marion Kauffman to promote academic excellence, achievement, and prosperity in Kansas City. It will recognize the hard work, dedication, and outstanding accomplishments of our 1,205 scholarship recipients. The awardees will include the 9th grade College Savings Match awardees, 11th grade traditional and Institution-Sponsored awardees, as well as the 159 adult learner awardees who were awarded scholarships in February. Further details will follow closer to the event.

This program enables social and economic mobility for scholarship residents as well as their families and their communities. It not only provides the economic means to attend college but offers the necessary support along the way to succeed in college. Great Jobs KC doesn’t stop at graduation, it is their mission to secure great jobs for their Scholars and they have done so for over 1,000 Kansas Citians so far. The impact of a $50,000 scholarship on an individual is beyond measure.

“(My KC Scholars Scholarship has) taken an immeasurable amount of financial stress off me! (It has) provided me with confidence in knowing others understand the impact I want to make.” Conner Berens, a graduate of Lee’s Summit High School.

Great Jobs KC Chief Operating Officer Natalie Lewis explained the meaning of the organization’s mission: “Kansas City is on an incredible streak of success, and we’re thrilled to be a part of this movement! KC Scholars is committed to continuing to provide a pathway for our Scholars and families to thrive in our own backyard. Having awarded scholarships to over 6,000 students and adult learners, with 71% of them being first-generation and 82% representing students of color, our KC Scholars Scholarship program is making a monumental impact. The success and contributions of our scholars will impact our community for generations to come. This is what fuels our passion and drives our mission every single day!”

Even though this level of Scholar support is incredible, there is still a large unmet need in the Kansas City community. There were over 500 students we were unable to award and even more who never applied but dream of a college education and just feel as though it’s not their destiny solely due to financial roadblocks. Great Jobs KC encourages donors who want to help fund the success of their fellow Kansas Citians and build strong communities to consider giving here at their website after learning more about the importance of Great Jobs KC’s impact in the Kansas City Metro Area.

About Great Jobs KC

Great Jobs KC is a Kansas City-based nonprofit that provides access to college scholarships and tuition-free job training, along with job placement assistance for adults from low- and modest-income families in the metropolitan area, providing a pipeline of talent for a strong regional workforce. Please join us on our mission for economic independence for all. For more information, visit www.greatjobskc.org.

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A group of graduates in caps and gowns celebrating outdoors. Text on the image reads "Over $12 million in scholarships being awarded." These scholarships are paving the way for promising careers.
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Stephanie underwood - Chief financial Officer

Stephanie Underwood serves as Chief Financial Officer at Great Jobs KC, where she leads the organization’s financial strategy in support of its mission to create economic mobility through education and workforce opportunities. With more than 17 years of experience in nonprofit finance, Stephanie brings deep expertise in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and compliance. She is passionate about using her career as a platform to serve and support mission-driven organizations, helping them maximize impact through strong financial stewardship.

Prior to joining Great Jobs KC, Stephanie served as Chief Financial Officer for Griffith Centers, a behavioral and mental health organization, where she oversaw financial operations for a multi-million-dollar organization spanning residential, educational, and community-based programs. She also spent nearly a decade as Vice President of Accounting Services at NFP Partners, providing CFO-level leadership to nonprofit organizations across the country, with a focus on strategic growth, audit readiness, and governance.

Outside of her professional role, Stephanie volunteers her time at her church and serves on the board of a local nonprofit. She is known for her collaborative leadership style and her commitment to aligning financial strategy with mission impact. She holds a Master of Science in Accounting and is proud to be a first-generation college graduate.

 

 

 

Adult Learner College Scholarship

The Adult Learner Scholarship application is closed. Please click GET STARTED to be added to communication reminders on when to apply during the next open cycle.

Program offers:

  • Up to $25,000 paid directly to the college over the course of up to six years.
  • Once awarded, the Scholar can enroll full or part-time the fall semester following awarding.
  • Scholarship can be used at any of our college partners. See our current list of partners HERE.
  • Scholarship can be used towards an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or a credit-bearing credential. 

Eligibility Requirements: 

  • Be a high school graduate or GED holder (24 years or older).
  • Live in one of the six eligible counties. (Kansas: Wyandotte, Johnson; Missouri: Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte)
  • Be income eligible. (FASFA Student Aid Index of 12,000 or less)
  • Have not previously earned a bachelor’s degree.
  • Have not previously been awarded a KC Scholars Scholarship (Traditional or Adult Learner).
  • Is not currently enrolled in a Great Jobs KC Skills Training Program.
  • US Citizenship/Residency is not required to apply.

If you need more information on program details, please find our FAQs HERE

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Jimmy Swift - Chief Operating Officer

As the Chief Operating Officer, Jimmy Swift is responsible for overseeing our core programs, our adult workforce development program, Great Jobs KC tuition-free job training, and our KC Scholars Scholarship Program, which includes 11th Grade Traditional Scholarships and Adult Learner Scholarships. 

Jimmy has a career in education that spans more than 25 years and is built around supporting and improving the performance of career training programs and leading the operations of degree-granting institutions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management and has served as Campus President, Vice President of Career Services, and Executive Director of various career schools.  

Most recently, Jimmy served as the Vice President of PLA University at Phalen Leadership Academies, bringing access to job skill training to the parents and families of the Scholars served by Phalen Leadership schools across the country.  Beyond his higher education experience, Jimmy serves as the Executive Board Chairman for Project Safety Net NY, a nonprofit community-based agency delivering a broad range of health, education, and prevention services to the New York Community. As the Chief Operating Officer for Great Jobs KC, he and his team are poised to make a substantial impact on the economic stability and future of Kansas City.

Great Jobs KC
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