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KCTCS board increases tuition, sets up scholarship

Special to
The Greenup Beacon

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System announced a new scholarship program as well as a tuition increase during its Board of Regents meeting Friday.

 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.”

KCTCS officials calls the scholarship one way to help increase Kentucky’s higher education goal established by the Council on Postsecondary Education which hopes to raise the percentage of Kentuckians with a postsecondary degree or certificate to 60 percent by the year 2030.

The CPE says 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.

The KCTCS board at the Friday meeting also 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.

The board also approved an operating budget of nearly $855 million for the fiscal year that begins in July, ratified 31 certificate programs, approved or ratified four associate degree and one diploma program and approved 19,518 academic credential requests for associate degrees, diplomas and certificates.

The KCTCS operates 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses across Kentucky.  They are marking their 20th year, during which time they have served 875,000 Kentuckians.

By TOM LATEK, Kentucky Today; reprinted by permission.