FLORENCE, Ky. (June 15, 2018) – The Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) Board of Regents learned at its meeting today about a new scholarship to help students complete their associate degrees in two years or less. The 15 to Finish scholarship will pay $500 to students who successfully complete 15 credit hours in a semester and re-enroll for 15 hours the next semester.
Beginning this fall, students could start earning $1,500 in scholarships on their way to an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree and up to $2,000 if they are pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree, which may take an additional semester.
“We continue to seek ways to help students have better lives through affordable education, and I’m excited about this new scholarship,” said KCTCS Board of Regents Chair Marcia L. Roth. “Numerous studies show taking 15 hours per semester reduces the cost of college, can lead to higher grade point averages and lowers dropout rates.”
The scholarship is another way KCTCS is helping to increase Kentucky’s higher education attainment levels as well. The Council on Postsecondary Education set a goal to raise the percentage of Kentuckians with a postsecondary degree or certificate to 60 percent by the year 2030. Achieving this goal is critical if the Commonwealth hopes to accelerate job creation, grow the economy and expand Kentucky’s tax base through the contributions of a better-educated, productive workforce.
In other business, the board approved an increase in the in-state tuition rate for the 2018-19 academic year from $162 to $169 per credit hour. Out-of-state tuition rates approved include a $338 per credit hour rate for out-of-state students from counties contiguous to Kentucky and $592 for all other out-of-state students.
Additionally, the board:
- Approved a 2018-19 operating budget of $854,987,200
- Ratified 31 certificate programs
- Approved or ratified four associate degree programs and one diploma program:
- An associate in applied science in diesel technology at Bluegrass Community College
- An associate in applied science in air conditioning technology at Gateway Community and Technical College
- An associate in applied science in computerized manufacturing and machining at Gateway Community and Technical College
- An associate in applied science in health science technology at Gateway Community and Technical College
- A diploma in pharmacy technician II at West Kentucky Community and Technical College
- Approved 19,518 academic credential requests (associate degrees, diplomas and certificates). These credentials include:
- 12,511 candidates for certificates
- 1,420 candidates for diplomas
- 5,587 candidates for associate degrees
The next meeting of the KCTCS Board of Regents is scheduled for Sept. 13-14 at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College.
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