Scholar Grant Program
Grants to under-resourced scholars covering tuition assistance, extracurricular fees and other school-related costs that stand between a student and their goals.
Programs built for the whole walk
Scholars need more than a check — they need tutoring, coaching, counseling and someone in their corner at home. Here is how we walk with them.
What we offer
Four kinds of support, one path
Tutoring & Academic Support
Targeted tutoring that meets scholars where they are — because financial aid is only half of what it takes to cross the finish line.
Coaching & Counseling
One-on-one coaching and counseling support, so scholars navigate the emotional and practical curves of the journey with someone in their corner.
Caregiver Resource Network
Parents, guardians and mentors get practical resources to champion their student at home — because a scholar's support system is part of the scholarship.
Arkeo Camino Podcast
The podcast that started the walk — financial wisdom through stories instead of spreadsheets, guided by the pilgrim shell.
Financial Wisdom Workshops
The curriculum our founders built — practical, story-driven financial guidance. Today it informs how we think about stewardship in everything we grant.
How it works
From application to award
We keep the process as simple and dignified as the students we serve.
Inquire
Students, schools or families reach out through our contact form or by phone. We confirm eligibility within a few days.
Apply
We gather the essentials — the student's story, their school situation and what stands between them and their goals. No bureaucratic walls.
Review
The grants committee — volunteer board members — reviews every application confidentially and on its own merits.
Award & walk
Awards are paid to the school or directly to support the scholar's needs, and we stay in touch along the way. The walk doesn't end at the check.
Interested? Start with a note to us — we'll take it from there. We respond within 5 business days.
What we've done
Grants in the public record
$1.38M
Awarded over 3 fiscal years
FY2023–FY2025, per Form 990
7
Grants awarded
Deliberately few, deliberately large
99%
Of expenses to giving
Per grant-amount analysis of Form 990
0
Paid staff
Volunteer board, no salaries
Where grants land
Grants for students, through schools that know them
Our grants flow to student-serving organizations across East Texas. One public example: a $153,000 grant to the Tyler Catholic School Foundation, which provides scholarship aid, teacher support and faith education for students — Catholic and otherwise — at St. Gregory Cathedral School and Bishop Gorman Catholic School in Tyler.
We serve students of every faith and of none. The remaining grants in our FY2023– FY2025 record are documented in the grant schedules of our Form 990 filings.
Learn about Tyler Catholic School Foundation
Common questions
Before you ask
Who is eligible for a grant?
Under-resourced scholars at any stage of their education — primary, secondary or post-secondary — in our East Texas service area, plus the students supported by our grantee organizations. Grants follow need, never faith, race or background.
Does Arkeo only fund Catholic schools?
No. Our roots are Catholic and one of our largest grants supports the Tyler Catholic School Foundation — which itself serves Catholic and non-Catholic students of every ethnicity — but our non-discrimination policy is absolute: we serve students of every faith and of none.
How do I apply for a student?
Write to us through the contact page or email [email protected]. A board member will respond within 5 business days and walk you through the simple application — no bureaucracy.
Are donations tax-deductible?
Yes. Arkeo Financial Wisdom Inc. is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 84-1962360). All gifts are deductible to the fullest extent of the law, and we issue a receipt for every donation.
When does the grant cycle open?
Our cycle runs annually alongside the school year. The best time to ask is now — reach out and we'll tell you exactly where we are in the cycle.
How much of my gift goes to grants?
In FY2023–FY2025, approximately 99% of total expenses went to grantmaking, with zero paid staff. Details are in our public Form 990 filings.