People Recruitment Incentives
Barton County Rural Opportunity Zone (ROZ)
Administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce, the Student Loan Repayment Assistance program is a partnership between Barton County and local employers and foundations to provide up to $15,000 in assistance over 5 years for people establishing domicile in Barton County.
The State of Kansas has designated 95 counties as “Rural Opportunity Zones,” which means moving there comes with significant added benefits. Designated counties, such as Barton County, offers the following financial incentives for new full-time residents:
1. Student Loan Repayment Assistance
- Administered By Kansas Department of Commerce (KDC)
- Partners with Counties, Cities, Employers, and Foundations
- Provides up to $15,000 in Student Loan Repayment Assistance over 5 years
Eligibility Requirements
- You must have a newly established permanent address in Barton County, so long as that address was established after November 9th, 2021, when Barton County began participating in the program.
- Applicants must have an active student loan balance in their name, as well as an associate’s, bachelor’s or post-graduate degree prior to moving to Barton County.
- To apply, you will need to provide proof of domicile in Barton County, proof of previous permanent residency (prior to earning your degree), transcripts with degree dates, and student loan balance with distribution dates.
Employer/Foundation Sponsorship
- The applicant must identify a sponsoring partner such as an employer or foundation to submit a completed Rural Opportunity Zone - Sponsorship Confirmation Form to KDC at www.kansascommerce.gov/roz.
- The sponsorship funding match is no greater than $1,500 a year, per participant, with a maximum state match no greater than $1,500, for a total of $3,000 a year, up to 5 years.
2. 100 % State Income Tax Credit
- Administered By Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR)
- Filed with state taxes; only eligible with online filing on KDOR website https://www.ksrevenue.org/prtaxcredits-roz.html
Come Home Reverse Scholarship
The Golden Belt Community Foundation currently offers a student loan forgiveness for people who desire to move to Barton County. This opportunity is for individuals that have graduated college within the last seven years and currently live outside the Golden Belt area. For more information, please visit www.goldenbeltcf.org.