Educational Grants
Leo Saenz, Jr., Chairman
(512) 831-8516 or leosaenz@gmail.com
Ken Orze, Assistant Chairman
(678) 656-3911 or k.orze@yahoo.com
State Council Charities maintains two Education Grant Programs that are funded by the interest received on the Cardinal Humberto Medeiros and Christopher Trust Funds managed by the Supreme Council. These two programs are the Catholic School Grants and the individual student Educational Grants.
Catholic School Grants
Texas State Council Charities will award $2,000 or more per diocese to designated Catholic Schools within each diocese. Prior to March 1, the Educational Grant Committee will ask the Bishop of each Diocese, in conjunction with the Diocesan Superintendent or Director of Catholic Education, to designate schools in the Diocese to receive the funds and the amount (at least $500) each school is to receive. Funds will be provided to the designated schools in the Diocese after the State Convention. The total amount available for each Diocese will be determined using a formula based on the number of Knights in each Diocese. Each Diocese will receive at least one $2,000 grant.
Individual Educational Grants
The Texas State Council will award at least one $1,000 Educational Grant per diocese and two more $1,000 At-Large Educational Grants. The total number of grants for each Diocese will be determined using a formula based on the number of Regular Members, on July 1, in each Diocese. Applications for these grants are due March 1. Winners will be announced at the State Convention.
Who Is Eligible for the Individual Educational Grant?
An applicant must be a Knight of Columbus member in good standing of a Council located in Texas, his wife, son, or daughter. A granddaughter or grandson of a member in good standing in a Council in Texas may apply if their father is not a Knight or is not in good standing. Descendants of deceased members or grandfathers who were in good standing are also eligible. Any graduating senior of a Catholic High School in Texas is eligible when sponsored by a local Council in Texas – even when the student’s parent or grandparent is not a Knight.
Educational Grant money is to be used for education in a University, College, Junior College, Technical School, Business School or Seminary.
The application must be completed and received by March 1.
The sponsoring Council's Supreme and State per capita must be paid in full and the Council may not be suspended by the Supreme Council.
Guidelines for the Educational Grant Application are found in the application, which is available:
at the Texas State Council website under https://www.tkofc.org/download...
or the downloads on the right hand side of this page in the Star Guide, from your District Deputy or by email from Educational Grant Chairman Leo Saenz, Jr., at leosaenz@gmail.com
The formula for determining numbers of grants is one per Diocese, plus one additional grant for reaching each increment of 7,500 Knights in the Diocese as of July 1 each year.
EDUCATIONAL GRANT APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY MARCH 1 OF THE GRANT YEAR.
A completed application counts as an award write-up toward the Lone Star Award for Excellence with Distinction.