Interested Kentuckians may now go online to see how Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) awards are earned and distributed among the state’s high school and college students. The KEES Data Report for 2003 can be found at www.kheaa.com/serv_reports.html.

         “We break down the information by county, high school, school district, race and gender,” said Dr. Joe L. McCormick, executive director of the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA), which administers the scholarship program.

         The KEES program was created in 1998 to encourage students to stay in school, make good grades and advance to college—preferably a school in Kentucky, McCormick said. “We now have sufficient data to analyze these questions. Has KEES altered students’ behavior? Are they going to Kentucky colleges?”

         McCormick said he hopes educators and policy makers will use the KEES data to analyze the effectiveness of the KEES program.

         Marci Kazee, guidance counselor at Magoffin County High School, said the report can be used to show parents the rewards of maintaining a high grade point average. “They want to know what incentive there is to make better grades. KEES money shows them why it’s important,” she said. Magoffin County students earned $137,889 for their grade point averages during the 2002-2003 school year, plus an extra $12,323 for their ACT scores, according to the report.

         KEES data for 2004 will be added to the website soon, McCormick said. He projected that the 2005 data will be available online by the end of the year. 

         “I would like to encourage people to give us their feedback and let us know if this information is useful to them,” McCormick said.

         To comment on the KEES Data Report, contact KHEAA’s Policy Analysis group at 502.696.7471 or mletteer@kheaa.com.

         The KEES program is funded by revenue from the Kentucky Lottery. To qualify for a base award, a student must have a 2.5 GPA or higher for at least one year of high school. To qualify for a bonus award, a high school student must have earned at least one base award and at least a 15 ACT (or SAT-equivalent) score. GED recipients and graduates of non-certified Kentucky high schools who otherwise meet eligibility criteria may qualify for a bonus award but not a base award.

          For more information about KEES and other student financial aid programs, visit www.kheaa.com; call 800.928.8926, extension 7394; e-mail kees@kheaa.com; or write to KHEAA, P.O. Box 798, Frankfort, KY 40602-0798