I Know I Can Grant

• 2.25 cumulative GPA (HS seniors) / 2.0 cumulative GPA (college students)
• Have graduated from or plan to graduate from a CCS high school
• Submitted the FAFSA prior to the I Know I Can Grant application deadline
• Eligible for the federal Pell Grant according to the FAFSA Submission Summary
• Enrolled or planning to enroll in college full-time

• No. High school students must graduate with at least a 2.25 cumulative GPA and college students must have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA by the end of spring semester the year they apply.

• Students who do not meet the I Know I Can grant requirement but have special circumstances that warrant further review can complete an appeal.

• Yes. As long as you graduate from a CCS high school or have graduated from a CCS high school within one year of your first I Know I Can Grant application, you are eligible for the I Know I Can Grant.

• If you are currently in college and graduated from a CCS high school within the last year, you are eligible to apply.

• The I Know I Can Grant application for the 24-25 school year is now open! Applications must be submitted through the Student Portal, which you can access by clicking the APPLY button at the top of this page.

• A student’s application will be considered complete when it contains:
  • All Students: Completed and signed application
  • High School Students: FAFSA Submission Summary AND high school transcript (official or unofficial)
  • College Students: FAFSA Submission Summary AND college transcript (official or unofficial)
• Please be sure that your first and last name are on every document you submit.
• NOTE: Applications that are incomplete on the grant deadline will be denied**

• All applications and supporting documents will be submitted online, through the I Know I Can Student Portal.
• You can also access the Student Portal and view the status of all of your applications on the Student Portal.

• The FAFSA Submission Summary is an electronic document that lists your answers to the questions on your FAFSA as well as basic information about your eligibility for federal student aid.
• You can access your FAFSA Submission Summary at here after your FAFSA has been processed (approximately 4 business days after you complete and submit the FAFSA online).
• The FAFSA SAR is typically 7-8 pages and can be downloaded as a PDF
• NOTE: Be sure to complete your FAFSA at least one week prior to the I Know I Can Grant application deadline

• Funding applications are not considered complete unless the FAFSA Submission Summary is uploaded. Due to changes with the 2024-25 FAFSA, we understand that there is a delay with when those summaries will be available to students and families. IKIC will return incomplete applications to students so that the FAFSA Submission Summary can be uploaded once the student has it. You can log into your application by going to the Application Center here: https://portal.iknowican.org/.

*Please note that that the FAFSA Submission Summary only applies to those students who are US Citizens or those eligible to apply for the FAFSA.

• Yes. CCS seniors applying to both the Founders’ Scholarship and I Know I Can Grant should submit completed, on-time applications for both the Founders’ Scholarship and I Know I Can Grant. Students can only receive one, so if you are selected for the Founders’ Scholarship, you will not receive the I Know I Can Grant.

• If you are eligible for both, you will only receive the Founders’ Scholarship. We encourage students who meet the criteria to apply for both when submitting a Founders’ Scholarship application so you will not miss the deadline to apply for the I Know I Can Grant in the event that you are not selected for the Founders’ Scholarship.

• Once you have been deemed eligible for the I Know I Can Grant and received an approval email, you should read the attached approval letter carefully and be sure to submit the following items:
  • Financial aid award letter from your college
  • Your fall class schedule for the upcoming year
  • Your college student ID#
  • Your current e-mail address
• NOTE: You must submit these final documents in order to receive the I Know I Can Grant funds. I Know I Can will not be able to send the I Know I Can Grant to your college without these documents.

• A financial aid award letter shows the grants, scholarships, and loans that your college has awarded you. You may have received a paper copy or it may have been sent electronically, either by e-mail or on your college’s student access website.
• If you have trouble finding it, please contact the financial aid office at your college.
• NOTE: The financial aid award letter is different from the FAFSA Student Aid Report.

• The I Know I Can Grant is worth $2,500.

• The I Know I Can Grant is sent in two payments. You will receive $1,250 in the fall semester and $1,250 in the spring semester, provided you are enrolled full-time.

• You will see a $1,250 credit on your account when the I Know I Can Grant has been received and processed by your college. Depending on how your college processes payments, it may not be specifically listed as I Know I Can Grant.

• Your college may not list the I Know I Can Grant on the financial aid award letter unless you have informed your college that you are receiving an outside grant. You can provide a copy of your I Know I Can grant approval letter to your college if necessary.
• You will still be able to receive the I Know I Can Grant even if it is not listed on your financial aid award letter.

• Students must submit a new application for the I Know I Can Grant each year.
• Students may renew the grant for up to five years at a four-year institution, two years at a two-year institution, or until receipt of first bachelor’s degree, whichever comes first.
• To renew the grant, students must be Pell eligible, maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA, and submit a completed application by the grant deadline.

• You must remain enrolled full-time to receive the IKIC Grant. If you are not enrolled full-time, then your college will return the IKIC Grant funds to IKIC.

• The I Know I Can Grant can be used at any accredited university, college, technical school, or post-secondary program in the United States.

• The I Know I Can grant can be transferred to your new college, provided it is an accredited institution in the U.S. You must notify IKIC as soon as you decide to transfer and submit a financial aid award letter from your new college.

Students who do not meet established I Know I Can funding criteria have the opportunity to appeal on the basis of relevant, significant, and documentable extenuating circumstances for which they could not plan, influence, or prevent. The appeal committee will review your completed appeal and notify you of the results via email.  Please note the IKIC Appeal committee will NOT make appeal decisions before August 1st.  Incomplete appeal applications will not be considered.

Please follow this link to file an appeal: IKIC Funding Appeal Form (jotform.com)