Dependent Scholarship Awards

The Dependent Scholarship Awards is a competitive scholarship program for undergraduate and skilled-trade students. Scholarships are awarded to qualifying dependents of full-time Koch employees, in increments of $2,000.

student studying

Program Details

Program eligibility

Applicant must be at least a high school senior and not older than 25 years of age as of March 1, 2023. At the time the application is submitted, the applicant must be enrolled or anticipate being enrolled in an accredited United States or Canadian college, university or regionally accredited nonprofit trade school* as a full-time undergraduate student (minimum of 12 undergraduate hours of credit per semester) for the fall 2023 semester.

*Qualified trade school programs are programs conducted by nonprofit organizations described in Internal Revenue Code section 170(b)(1)(A)(ii). Such programs are limited to industrial trades or crafts and must be accredited by a nationally recognized accreditation agency, and authorized under federal or state law.

Applicant must be a dependent of a parent or legal guardian who is a full-time employee of Koch Industries, Inc.; Koch Holdings, LLC; 1888 Management, 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, 2023 (does not apply to applicants who are renewing scholarships). All applications (for new and renewal scholarships) are accepted online only and must be submitted by March 1, 2023.

The following applicants are not eligible (does not apply to applicants who are renewing scholarships):

  • Dependents of employees serving on the Koch Industries, Inc.’s board of directors or as officers of Koch Industries, Inc. at the level of vice president or above.  
  • Dependents of part-time employees or employees working on a contractual basis with Koch Industries, Inc. or any other Koch company.

Scholarship selection

In compliance with IRS regulations, a maximum of 25 percent of all qualified applications received may be awarded scholarships. This does not apply to renewal scholarships. Award decisions will be made by the Scholarship Selection Committee by May 1 and the committee’s decisions will be final. No employee or director of Koch Industries, Inc. or any of its subsidiaries serves on the Scholarship Committee. The committee will base its decisions on a variety of factors including essays, community and school involvement, and other application criteria. 

Automatic renewal scholarship applicants

Must have maintained status as a full-time student in good standing during the prior year and submit a completed renewal application by the March 1 deadline. Should a recipient fail to maintain these requirements, they should reapply for formal selection as a new applicant. To reapply, recipients must complete all application and portfolio requirements.

Application deadline

Completed application and materials must be submitted online by March 1. Applications are accepted beginning in January.

New applicants must submit:

  • Scholarship Application
  • Transcripts  (scanned copies are acceptable)
    • HS Seniors – Transcripts with freshman through first semester of senior year 
    • College Students – College transcripts only  
  • Resume   
    • List categories in the order of achievements and honors, community and school involvement, work experience and other application criteria.  
  • Essays  
    • Four essay questions will be explored separately in 100-200 typed words, or a video essay (no longer than 90 seconds per video).

Renewal applicants must submit :

  • Scholarship Application  
  • College Transcripts  

Before submitting your application:

  • New Applicants
    • Obtain information regarding your parent’s employment. This includes your parent’s personnel number, full name, name of Koch company or subsidiary, work location, phone number and email address.
  • Renewal Applicants
    • If you received a Dependent Scholarship last year and have maintained status as a full-time student in good standing, you are eligible to apply for a renewal scholarship. If you have not met these requirements, please complete a new application with all scholarship requirements to be considered.

General FAQ

Can Koch company employees or spouses apply for the scholarships?

No. Applicants must be a dependent of a parent or legal guardian who is a full-time employee of Koch Industries, Inc.; Koch Holdings, LLC; 1888 Management, 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 of the current application year

Are scholarships available for graduate studies?

No. Scholarships are available for full-time undergraduate students taking a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester.

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, LLC, and the date of the acquisition is prior to September 1 of the prior calendar year, dependents would be eligible to apply if they meet other eligibility criteria.

If I don’t maintain the full-time student status in good standing 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.

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.

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.

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.

Application process

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

If you are a current scholarship recipient and your transcript previously submitted contains final grades for the 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.

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.

Scholarship selection

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.

How are scholarship recipients selected?

An independent scholarship committee bases its decision on a variety of factors including essays, community and school involvement, and other application criteria.

Can the scholarship committee’s decision be appealed? 

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

The most important skill I can develop in my education is a passion for gaining new knowledge to better myself.

Victoria Lyczak |Scholarship Recipient