Means testing adds a lot of bureaucratic overhead, especially if it's international, and it could dissuade some marginal people from engaging if they have to produce a bunch of documentation.
One option I've seen, though it's not bullet-proof, is to just have an explanation of who the money is intended for, and require applicants to sign a statement about their financial condition. Someone could always lie about it, but most people won't (especially since lying on an application for money is illegal).
In most cases, lying on such an application in the private sector will fall under fraudulent misrepresentation. You might get sued in civil court for it, but it's unlikely you'll be pursued for false pretenses. Especially over $12,000.
People lie to each other on business contracts every minute of every day, nearly all of it ends up as a civil offense.
