Union County has been allocated a total of over 34-thousand dollars for the Kentucky Dual Credit Scholarship Program for the 2016-2017 school year.
Governor Matt Bevin and the Education and Workforce Development secretary were joined Wednesday by more than 400 students, teachers and local leaders at Russell County High School to announce the launch of the Kentucky Dual Credit Scholarship Program. Starting next school year, this statewide program provides funds for dual credit scholarships for all 173 school districts. For the first time in the state’s history, officials say the scholarship funds will pay for dual credit opportunities for every Kentucky senior at no cost to the student for the 2017 and 2018 school years in approved courses.
Dual credit allows high school students to receive both high school and postsecondary credit at the same time for a course that is approved. The course may be delivered at the high school or postsecondary school. Officials indicate the new program will be administered by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA).
According to state officials, the Kentucky Dual Credit Scholarship Program allocates 7.5 million dollars for the 2016-2017 school year to all school districts across Kentucky for any high school senior to earn dual credit for up to two courses, at no cost to the student. An Additional 7.5 million dollars is allocated for the following school year.
Local school districts will then apply for the scholarships for each eligible senior and course. An amount has been reserved for each high school for dual credit scholarships based on each school’s proportion of high school seniors. KDE estimates that there will be nearly 46,400 seniors in the calls of 2017 statewide.
In Union County, the total reserve for two years is $34,036.76. Of the total amount, Clements Victory Technical High School #2 will receive $6,296.80; Earl C. Clements Job Corps Center will receive $1,021.10; Union County High School will receive $25017.02; and Union County Learning Academy will receive $1,701.84.
Crittenden County’s total reserve for two years is $15,656.91. Of the total amount, Crittenden County High School will receive $14,805.99, and Pathway Academy High School will receive $850.92.
Henderson County’s total reserve for two years is $81,347.86. Of the total amount, Central Academy School will receive $7,488.09, and Henderson County High School will get $73,859.77.
Webster County’s total reserve for two years is $27,399.59, with Webster County High School receiving the total amount.
Eligible dual credit courses include both general education classes, and career and technical education courses in state-approved career pathways that lead to an industry recognized credential.
In the 2015-2016 school years, state education officials say 9,319 Kentucky high school students were enrolled in 25,102 dual credit courses.