Coal County Completion Scholarship to benefit those in seeking bachelors degree

Southeast Kentucky Community amp; Technical College will enter into a partnership withthe University of Pikeville, (UPike), to aid upper level college students who have graduated from high school and attend college in a nine-county region of Eastern Kentucky. Gov. Steve Beshear recently authorized the spending of $4.3 million in coal severance tax funds on the pilot project, the Kentucky Coal County College Completion Scholarship Program.

The program, aimed at boosting the regions education levels, is set to commence July 1 for college juniors, seniors and non-traditional students in Harlan, Bell, Letcher, Knott, Pike, Floyd, Magoffin, Martin and Johnson counties.

The program will help individuals and specifically those who have achieved an associates degree to work toward and ultimately received a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice or Health Care Administration.


UPike will offer a total of 48 hours and will accept a total of 72 hours from a community college in order to satisfy requirements for a BA. Those eligible for the scholarship are required to be graduates of any high school in the nine-county region, or the recipient of a GED that was earned while a resident of the region who has earned at least 60 credit hours towards a bachelors degree. Additionally, the student must be enrolled in an eligible institution in a course of study that will result in a bachelors degree.

Southeast will play a role locally with the delivery of classes taught from SKCTC sites in Cumberland, Middlesboro and Whitesburg beginning with the fall term. Faculty will be a mix of educators from UPike and SKCTC, with classes scheduled to begin in August via interactive television and live classroom instruction. Additionally, students enrolling in courses currently being presented by Lincoln Memorial University and Lindsey Wilson College and taught on the campuses of Southeast will also be eligible to receive the scholarship. Classes are expected to be offered in a weekend format to better accommodate those who have jobs, with course work likely being presented Friday evening and Saturday.

In addition to providing instruction on its main campus, the University of Pikeville will provide 48 credit hours of upper division course to a bachelors degree in each of the counties in the region where student participation is adequate to fund the program. It is anticipated that a total of at least 20 students beginning each track or courses leading to a major will be needed to make it financially viable.

To obtain additional information about the program, contact the UPike Office of Admissions: 606/218-5250 or at www.upike.edu