Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority
Financial Aid Tip of the Month, May 2006

Kentucky students can earn money for college through the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) program. The KEES program rewards students for making good grades in high school and doing well on the ACT or SAT. Best of all, no application is necessary. Students just show up at an eligible college in the fall, and their KEES money will be there a few weeks later.

Students may use their KEES awards at any public college or university in Kentucky, at nearly all the private colleges and universities in the state and at many of the state’s trade schools. If a course of study isn’t offered in Kentucky, KEES awards may be used at out-of-state schools that offer that particular major and also belong to the Academic Common Market. (Illinois, Indiana and Ohio schools are not eligible because those states do not participate in the Academic Common Market.)

Here’s how KEES works:

Every year students attend certified Kentucky high schools and earn at least a 2.5 grade point average (GPA), a KEES award ranging from $125 (for a 2.5 GPA) to $500 (for a 4.0 GPA) is earned. Students who carry a 4.0 through all four years of high school will earn $2,000.

Students may also earn bonus awards for their composite scores on the ACT or SAT, ranging from $36 (for a 15 on the ACT or 710 on the SAT) to $500 (for an ACT of 28 or higher or SAT of 1240 or higher). That means a student may earn up to $2,500 for each year of college.

Of course, students must maintain good grades in college to continue to receive their KEES awards. But unlike many other scholarships, the second year of KEES money is awarded if students earn at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA as freshmen. Many scholarships have a 3.0 cutoff. After their freshmen year in college, students must earn a 3.0 cumulative GPA to keep their full award. If a student’s GPA is between 2.5 and 2.99, half the award is earned; the full award may be regained the next year if the cumulative GPA is 3.0 or better

To learn how to plan and prepare for higher education, visit www.GoHigherKY.org. For more information about Kentucky scholarships and grants, visit www.kheaa.com; write KHEAA, P.O. Box 798, Frankfort, KY 40602-0798; or call (800) 928-8926, extension 7381. For more information about student loans, visit www.studentloanpeople.com; write The Student Loan People, P.O. Box 24328, Louisville, KY 40224-0328; or call (888) 678-4625.

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