The Office of the State Bank Commissioner has awarded $241,550 in grant funds to eight Kansas organizations to provide financial literacy education throughout the state.
The mission of the Office of the State Bank Commissioner (OSBC) is to “Ensure the integrity of regulated providers of financial services through responsible and proactive oversight, while protecting and educating consumers.” Although its primary role is regulatory, the OSBC protects and educates Kansas consumers through its Consumer Education Grant Program. Each year, funds are provided to organizations that provide financial literacy (money management skills) to Kansas consumers. Qualifying applicants must submit an application to be considered. The grant process is competitive, and recipients must provide measurable results. Consumer education funds come from fines and settlements with companies within the regulatory jurisdiction of the Consumer and Mortgage Lending Division of the OSBC; therefore, available grant funds can fluctuate from year to year. No taxpayer monies are used for these grants. The OSBC was able to award a total of $241,550 to eight organizations in 2025.
The recipients of OSBC Consumer Education grants are: Mirror, Inc. (Newton), Kansas Council for Economic Education (Wichita), Kansas Bankers Educational Foundation (Topeka), Omni Circle Group, Inc. (Topeka), Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas (JAG-K) (Topeka), SparkWheel (Lawrence), KSU Foundation (Manhattan), The Pando Initiative, Inc. (Wichita).
Consumers are faced with many financial decisions beginning at a young age that affect their lives well into the future. It is important to make information and resources available so Kansans of all ages can make informed decisions. This year’s grant funds will sponsor programs to prepare students to make financial decisions for their futures, as well as programs designed to assist adults with budgeting, saving, credit, emergency savings, investing, and protecting themselves from potential scams and fraud. More information about the specific OSBC sponsored programs is available on our website at Financial Education Grants (https://www.osbckansas.gov/consumers/financial-education-grants/). If you would like to know more about the OSBC Consumer Education Grant application process, please contact Kristy Hanshaw at [email protected] or (785) 260-2452.
