AN ACT relating to scholarships.

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AN ACT relating to scholarships. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
Section 1. KRS 164.7879 is amended to read as follows: 3
(1) (a) Kentucky educational excellence scholarship awards shall be based upon an 4
established base scholarship amount and an eligible high school student's grade 5
point average. Beginning with the 2026 -2027 academic year, the base scholarship 6
amount for students attaining a grade point average of at least 2.5 for an[the 1998-7
1999] academic year shall be as follows: 8
GPA Amount GPA Amount 9
2.50 $125.00 3.30 $325.00 10
2.60 $150.00 3.40 $350.00 11
2.70 $175.00 3.50 $375.00 12
2.75 $187.00 3.60 $400.00 13
2.80 $200.00 3.70 $425.00 14
2.90 $225.00 3.75 $437.00 15
3.00 $250.00 3.80 $450.00 16
3.10 $275.00 3.90 $475.00 17
3.20 $300.00 4.00 $500.00 18
3.25 $312.00 19
[The authority shall review the base amount of the Kentucky educational excellence 20
scholarship each academic year and may promulgate an administrative regulation to 21
make adjustments after considering the availability of funds.] 22
(b) The base amount of the Kentucky educational excellence scholarship: 23
1. Shall be annually adjusted by the authority based on the most recent 24
percent increase in the nonseasonally adjusted annual average 25
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI -U), U.S . City 26
Average, All Items, between the two (2) most recent calendar years 27
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available, as published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics 1
by administrative regulation, subject to the availability of funds, 2
beginning with grade point averages attain ed in the 2018 -2019 3
academic year and each academic year thereafter; 4
2. May increase, but shall not be decreased; 5
3. Shall be paid at the most recent amount calculated for the academic 6
term in which a student utilizes his or her award; 7
4. Shall be provided at the adjusted amount identified in subparagraph 1. 8
of this paragraph for eligible high school students who graduated 9
prior to the 2021 -2022 academic year and have received an eligibility 10
extension by the authority pursuant to subsection (5) of Section 3 of 11
this Act; and 12
5. Shall not be made available for retroactive payments due to an award 13
amount adjustment, pursuant to subparagraph 1. of this paragraph, 14
for prior academic terms. 15
(2) (a) The authority shall commit to provide to each eligible high school student the 16
base amount of the Kentucky educational excellence scholarship for each 17
academic year of high school study in the Kentucky educational excellence 18
scholarship curriculum that the high school student has attained at least a 2.5 19
grade point avera ge. The award shall be based upon the eligible high school 20
student's grade point average at the close of each academic year , including 21
any[. An award attributable to a past academic year shall not be increased 22
after the award has been earned by an eligible high school student, regardless 23
of any] subsequent increases made to the base amount of the Kentucky 24
educational excellence scholarship [ through the promulgation of an 25
administrative regulation] by the authority in accordance with subsection 26
(1)(b) of this section. 27
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(b) Notwithstanding the definitions of "eligible high school student" and "high 1
school" in KRS 164.7874, any high school student who maintains Kentucky 2
residency and completes the academic courses that are required for a 3
Kentucky educational exc ellence scholarship while participating in an 4
approved educational high school foreign exchange program or participating 5
in the United States Congressional Page School may apply his or her grade 6
point average for that academic year toward the base as descr ibed in 7
paragraph (a) of this subsection. The grade point average shall be reported by 8
the student's Kentucky home high school, based on an official transcript from 9
the school that the student attended during the out -of-state educational 10
experience. The au thority shall promulgate administrative regulations that 11
describe the approval process for the educational exchange programs that 12
qualify under this paragraph. The provisions in this paragraph shall likewise 13
apply to any Kentucky high school student who pa rticipated in an approved 14
educational exchange program or in a Congressional Page School [ since the 15
1998-99 school year] and maintained his or her Kentucky residency 16
throughout. 17
(c) 1. Notwithstanding the definitions of "eligible high school student" and 18
"high school" in KRS 164.7874 and the requirement that a student 19
graduate from a Kentucky high school, a high school student who 20
completes the KEES curriculum while attending an accredited out -of-21
state high school or Department of Defense school may apply t he grade 22
point average for any applicable academic year toward the base as 23
described in paragraph (a) of this subsection and shall also qualify for a 24
supplemental award under subsection (3) of this section when: 25
a. His or her custodial parent or guardian i s in active service of the 26
Armed Forces of the United States; 27
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b. The student attended an accredited out -of-state high school or a 1
Department of Defense school as a result of the custodial parent's 2
or guardian's military transfer outside of Kentucky; and 3
c. The student earned a KEES base amount at a Kentucky high 4
school prior to the custodial parent's or guardian's military transfer 5
outside of Kentucky. 6
2. The student or parent shall arrange for the out -of-state school to report 7
the student's grade point ave rage each academic year and the student's 8
highest ACT score to the authority as required under KRS 164.7885. 9
The authority shall promulgate administrative regulations implementing 10
the requirements in this paragraph, including: 11
a. The documentation that the parent shall submit to the authority 12
establishing the student's eligibility for the scholarship; and 13
b. The assurances that an out -of-state institution shall submit to the 14
authority for submission of the student grade point average. 15
[3. The provisions in this paragraph shall apply to the 2001 -2002 school 16
year and thereafter.] 17
(d) [Beginning with the 2013 -2014 academic year, ] A student who meets the 18
Kentucky core academic standards for high school graduation established in 19
administrative regulation and graduates after completing three (3) years of 20
high school shall receive a Kentucky educational excellence sch olarship 21
award equivalent to completing high school in four (4) years. The award shall 22
be determined by dividing the total actual KEES scholarship earned under 23
subsection (1) of this section by three (3) and multiplying that number by four 24
(4). The resulting number shall be the annual award the student is eligible for 25
under subsection (1) of this section. 26
(3) (a) [The authority shall commit to provide to each eligible high school student 27
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graduating from high school before June 30, 1999, and achieving a scor e of at 1
least 15 on the American College Test, a supplemental award for the award 2
period beginning in the fall of 1999, based on the eligible high school 3
student's highest ACT score attained by the date of graduation from high 4
school. The amount of the supplemental award shall be determined as follows: 5
ACT Annual ACT Annual 6
Score Bonus Score Bonus 7
15 $21 22 $171 8
16 $43 23 $193 9
17 $64 24 $214 10
18 $86 25 $236 11
19 $107 26 $257 12
20 $129 27 $279 13
21 $150 28 or above $300 14
Subsequent supplemental awards for eligible high school students graduating 15
before June 30, 1999, shall be determined in accordance with the provisions 16
of paragraph (b) of this subsection. 17
(b) ]The authority shall commit to provide to each eligible high school stu dent 18
upon achievement[ after June 30, 1999,] of an ACT score of at least 15 on the 19
American College Test a supplemental award based on the eligible high 20
school student's highest ACT score attained by the date of graduation from 21
high school. The amount of t he supplemental award shall be determined as 22
follows: 23
ACT ACT 24
Score Amount Score Amount 25
15 $36 22 $286 26
16 $71 23 $321 27
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17 $107 24 $357 1
18 $143 25 $393 2
19 $179 26 $428 3
20 $214 27 $464 4
21 $250 28 and above $500 5
[ The auth ority shall review the base amount of the supplemental award 6
beginning with the 2001 -2002 academic year and each academic year 7
thereafter and may promulgate an administrative regulation to make 8
adjustments after considering the availability of funds.] 9
(b)[(c)] [Beginning with the 2008 -2009 academic year, ] The authority shall 10
commit to provide a supplemental award for achievement on examinations for 11
Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate as defined in KRS 12
164.002 to an eligible high school student whose family was eligible for free 13
or reduced-price lunch for any year during high school enrollment. 14
1. The supplemental award for AP examination scores are as follows: 15
a. Two hundred dollars ($200) for each score of three (3); 16
b. Two hundred fifty dollars ($250) for each score of four (4); and 17
c. Three hundred dollars ($300) for each score of five (5). 18
2. The supplemental award for IB examination scores are as follows: 19
a. Two hundred dollars ($200) for each score of five (5); 20
b. Two hundred fifty dollars ($250) for each score of six (6); and 21
c. Three hundred dollars ($300) for each score of seven (7). 22
(c)[(d)] [Beginning with the 2013 -2014 academic year, ] The authority shall 23
commit to provide a supplemental award for achievement on examinations for 24
Cambridge Advanced International as defined in KRS 164.002 to an eligible 25
high school student whose family was eligible for free or reduced -priced 26
lunch for any year during high school enrollment. The supplemental award for 27
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Cambridge Advanced International examination scores are as follows: 1
1. Two hundred dollars ($200) for each score of "e"; 2
2. Two hundred fifty dollars ($250) for each score of "c" or "d"; and 3
3. Three hundred dollars ($300) for each score of "a*", "a", or "b". 4
(d)[(e)] The authority shall promulgate administrative regulations establishing 5
the eligibility criteria and procedures for making a supplemental award to 6
Kentucky residents who are citizens, nationals, or pe rmanent residents of the 7
United States and who graduate from a nonpublic secondary school not 8
certified by the Kentucky Board of Education and Kentucky residents who are 9
citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the United States and who obtain 10
a High School Equivalency Diploma within five (5) years of their high school 11
graduating class, and students under subsection (2)(c) of this section who do 12
not attend an accredited high school. 13
(e) Beginning with the 2026 -2027 academic year, the base amount of th e 14
supplemental awards in paragraphs (a) to (c) of this subsection: 15
1. May be annually adjusted by the authority based on the most recent 16
percent increase in the nonseasonally adjusted annual average 17
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI -U), U.S . City 18
Average, All Items, between the two (2) most recent calendar years 19
available, as published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics 20
by administrative regulation, subject to the availability of funds, 21
beginning with examination scores attained in the 2018 -2019 22
academic year and each academic year thereafter; 23
2. May be increased, but shall not be decreased; 24
3. Shall be paid at the most recent amount calculated for the academic 25
term in which a student utilizes his or her award; 26
4. Shall be provided at the adjusted amount identified in subparagraph 1. 27
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of this paragraph for eligible high school students who graduated 1
prior to the 2021 -2022 academic year and have received an eligibility 2
extension by the authority pursuant to subsection (5) of Section 3 of 3
this Act; and 4
5. Shall not be made available for retroactive payments due to an award 5
amount adjustment, pursuant to subparagraph 1. of this paragraph, 6
for prior academic terms. 7
Section 2. KRS 164.7874 is amended to read as follows: 8
As used in KRS 164.7871 to 164.7885: 9
(1) "Academic term" means a semester or other time period specified in an 10
administrative regulation promulgated by the authority; 11
(2) "Academic year" means a period consisting of at least the minimum school term, as 12
defined in KRS 158.070; 13
(3) "ACT score" means the composite score achieved on the American College Test at 14
a national test site on a national test date or the college admissions examination 15
administered statewide under KRS 158.6453(5)(b)5. if the exam is the ACT, or an 16
equivalent score, as determined by the authority, on the SAT administered by the 17
College Board, Inc.; 18
(4) "Authority" means the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority; 19
(5) "Award period" means the fall and spring consecutive academic terms within one 20
(1) academic year; 21
(6) "Council" means the Council on Postsecondary Education created under KRS 22
164.011; 23
(7) "Eligible high school student" means any person who: 24
(a) Is a citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States and Kentucky 25
resident; 26
(b) Was enrolled after July 1, 1998: 27
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1. In a Kentucky high school for at least one hundred forty (140) days of 1
the minimum school term unless exempted by the authority's executi ve 2
director upon documentation of extreme hardship, while meeting the 3
KEES curriculum requirements, and was enrolled in a Kentucky high 4
school at the end of the academic year; 5
2. In a Kentucky high school for the fall academic term of the senior year 6
and who: 7
a. Was enrolled during the entire academic term; 8
b. Completed the high school's graduation requirements during the 9
fall academic term; and 10
c. Was not enrolled in a secondary school during any other academic 11
term of that academic year; or 12
3. In the Gatt on Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, the 13
Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics, or in high 14
school at a model and practice school under KRS 164.380 while meeting 15
the Kentucky educational excellence scholarship curriculum 16
requirements; 17
(c) Has a grade point average of 2.5 or above at the end of any academic year 18
beginning after July 1, 1998, or at the end of the fall academic term for a 19
student eligible under paragraph (b)2.[(b) 2.] of this subsection; and 20
(d) Is not a convicted felon; 21
(8) "Eligible postsecondary student" means a citizen, national, or permanent resident of 22
the United States and Kentucky resident, as determined by the participating 23
institution in accordance with criteria established by the council for the purpose s of 24
admission and tuition assessment, who: 25
(a) Earned a KEES award; 26
(b) Has the required postsecondary GPA and credit hours required under KRS 27
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164.7881; 1
(c) Has remaining semesters of eligibility under KRS 164.7881; 2
(d) Is enrolled in a participating institution as a part-time or full-time student; and 3
(e) Is not a convicted felon; 4
(9) "Full-time student" means a student enrolled in a postsecondary program of study 5
that meets the full -time student requirements of the participating institution in 6
which the student is enrolled; 7
(10) "Grade point average" or "GPA" means the grade point average earned by an 8
eligible student and reported by the high school or participating institution in which 9
the student was enrolled based on a scale of 4.0 or its equivalent if the high school 10
or participating institution that the student attends does not use the 4.0 grade scale; 11
(11) "High school" means any Kentucky public high school, the Gatton Academy of 12
Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, the Craft Academy for Excellence i n 13
Science and Mathematics, a high school of a model and practice school under KRS 14
164.380, and any private, parochial, or church school located in Kentucky that has 15
been certified by the Kentucky Board of Education as voluntarily complying with 16
curriculum, certification, and textbook standards established by the Kentucky Board 17
of Education under KRS 156.160; 18
(12) "KEES" or "Kentucky educational excellence scholarship" means a scholarship 19
provided under KRS 164.7871 to 164.7885; 20
(13) "KEES award" means: 21
(a) For an eligible high school student, the sum of the KEES base amount for 22
each academic year of high school plus any KEES supplemental amount, as 23
adjusted pursuant to KRS 164.7881; and 24
(b) For a student eligible under KRS 164.7879(3)(d)[(e)], the KEES supplemental 25
amount as adjusted pursuant to KRS 164.7881; 26
(14) "KEES award maximum" means the sum of the KEES base amount earned in each 27
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academic year of high school plus any KEES supplemental amount earned; 1
(15) "KEES base amount" or "base amount" means the amount earned by an eligible 2
high school student based on the student's GPA pursuant to KRS 164.7879; 3
(16) "KEES curriculum" means five (5) courses of study, except for students who meet 4
the criteria of subsection (7)(b)2. of this section, in an academic year as determined 5
in accordance with an administrative regulation promulgated by the authority; 6
(17) "KEES supplemental amount" means the amount earned by an eligible student 7
based on the student's ACT score pursuant to KRS 164.7879; 8
(18) "KEES trust fund" means the Wallace G. Wilkinson Kentucky educational 9
excellence scholarship trust fund; 10
(19) "On track to graduate" means the number of cumulative credit hours earned as 11
compared to the number of hours determined by the postsecondary education 12
institution as necessary to complete a bachelor's degree by the end of e ight (8) 13
academic terms or ten (10) academic terms if a student is enrolled in an 14
undergraduate program that requires five (5) years of study; 15
(20) "Participating institution" means an "institution" as defined in KRS 164.001 that is 16
eligible to participate in the federal Pell Grant program, executes a contract with the 17
authority on terms the authority deems necessary or appropriate for the 18
administration of its programs, and: 19
(a) 1. Is publicly operated; 20
2. Is licensed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky and ha s operated for at 21
least ten (10) years, offers an associate or baccalaureate degree program 22
of study not comprised solely of sectarian instruction, and admits as 23
regular students only high school graduates, recipients of a High School 24
Equivalency Diploma, or students transferring from another accredited 25
degree granting institution; or 26
3. Is designated by the authority as an approved out -of-state institution that 27
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offers a degree program in a field of study that is not offered at any 1
institution in the Commonwealth; and 2
(b) Continues to commit financial resources to student financial assistance 3
programs; and 4
(21) "Part-time student" means a student enrolled in a postsecondary program of study 5
who does not meet the full-time student requirements of the participating institution 6
in which the student is enrolled and who is enrolled for at least six (6) credit hours, 7
or the equivalent for an institution that does not use credit hours. 8
Section 3. KRS 164.7881 is amended to read as follows: 9
(1) Eligible high school students who have graduated from high school and eligible 10
postsecondary students who have earned a Kentucky educational excellence 11
scholarship, a Kentucky educational excellence schol arship and a supplemental 12
award, or a supplemental award only pursuant to KRS 164.7879(3) (d)[(e)], shall be 13
eligible to receive the Kentucky educational excellence scholarship, the Kentucky 14
educational excellence scholarship and the supplemental award, or a supplemental 15
award only for a maximum of eight (8) academic terms in an undergraduate or other 16
postsecondary program of study at a participating institution, except as provided in 17
subsections (5) and (6) of this section. 18
(2) To receive the Kentucky educa tional excellence scholarship, a Kentucky 19
educational excellence scholarship and supplemental award, or a supplemental 20
award only, an eligible high school or postsecondary student shall: 21
(a) Enroll in and attend a participating institution as a full -time student or a part -22
time student; and 23
(b) Maintain eligibility as provided in subsection (3) of this section. 24
(3) Eligibility for a Kentucky educational excellence scholarship or a Kentucky 25
educational excellence scholarship and supplemental award shall termi nate upon 26
the earlier of: 27
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(a) The expiration of five (5) years following the student's graduation from high 1
school, except as provided in subsection (5) or (6) of this section; or 2
(b) The successful completion of an undergraduate or other postsecondary cou rse 3
of study. However, any student who successfully completes the requirements 4
for a degree or certification involving a postsecondary course of study that 5
normally requires less than eight (8) academic terms to complete may 6
continue to receive the benefit s of a Kentucky educational excellence 7
scholarship, a Kentucky educational excellence scholarship and supplemental 8
award, or a supplemental award only, for a cumulative total of eight (8) 9
academic terms if the student enrolls as at least a part -time student in a four 10
(4) year program. 11
(4) (a) The maximum award amount shall be determined by the authority and shall 12
be adjusted as provided in this subsection. The award amount ultimately 13
determined to be available to an eligible postsecondary student for an awa rd 14
period shall be delivered by the authority to the participating institution for 15
disbursement to the eligible postsecondary student. 16
(b) The authority shall, by promulgation of administrative regulations, provide for 17
the proportionate reduction of the ma ximum award amount for an eligible 18
postsecondary student for any academic term in which the student is enrolled 19
on a part -time basis. Each academic term for which any scholarship or 20
supplemental award funds are accepted by an eligible postsecondary student 21
shall count as a full academic term, even if the award amount was reduced to 22
reflect the part -time status of the eligible postsecondary student, except if the 23
eligible postsecondary student interrupts enrollment during the award period 24
for any reason specified in subsection (5) of this section, and the participating 25
institution does not certify a cumulative grade point average for that student at 26
the end of that award period. 27
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(c) 1. An eligible postsecondary student who is enrolled full -time in an 1
undergraduate program of study, in the pharmacy program at the 2
University of Kentucky, or in a program of study designated as an 3
equivalent undergraduate program of study by the authority in an 4
administrative regulation, shall receive the maximum award amount for 5
the first award period that the student is enrolled in and attending the 6
program of study. 7
2. To retain the maximum award for the second award period, an eligible 8
postsecondary student shall have at least a 2.5 grade point average at the 9
end of the first a ward period. If the eligible postsecondary student 10
interrupts enrollment during the award period for any reason specified in 11
subsection (5) of this section, and the participating institution does not 12
certify a cumulative grade point average for that studen t at the end of 13
that award period, the eligible postsecondary student shall, subject to 14
paragraph (b) of this subsection, retain the maximum award for the 15
award period in which he or she resumes enrollment. 16
3. To retain the maximum award amount for subsequent award periods, an 17
eligible postsecondary student shall have: 18
a. A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or greater at the end of 19
the prior award period. If the eligible postsecondary student 20
interrupts enro llment during the award period for any reason 21
specified in subsection (5) of this section, and the participating 22
institution does not certify a cumulative grade point average for 23
that student at the end of that award period, the eligible 24
postsecondary stud ent shall, subject to paragraph (b) of this 25
subsection, retain the same award for the award period in which he 26
or she resumes enrollment as he or she received in the award 27
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period in which enrollment was interrupted; or 1
b. A cumulative grade point average o f 2.5 or greater but less than 2
3.0 at the end of the prior award period and be on track to 3
graduate. If the eligible postsecondary student interrupts 4
enrollment during the award period for any reason specified in 5
subsection (5) of this section, and the par ticipating institution does 6
not certify a cumulative grade point average for that student at the 7
end of that award period, the eligible postsecondary student shall, 8
subject to paragraph (b) of this subsection, retain the same award 9
for the award period in which he or she resumes enrollment as he 10
or she received in the award period in which enrollment was 11
interrupted. 12
4. Any eligible full -time postsecondary student who maintains a 13
cumulative grade point average of less than 3.0 but at least 2.5 but is not 14
on track to graduate at the completion of any award period shall receive 15
a reduction in the maximum award amount equal to fifty percent (50%) 16
of the maximum award amount for the next award period. 17
5. Any eligible postsecondary student who maintains a cumulat ive grade 18
point average of less than 2.5 at the completion of any award period 19
shall lose his or her award for the next award period. 20
6. a. Each participating institution shall certify to the authority at the 21
close of each award period the cumulative grade point average of 22
each Kentucky educational excellence scholarship recipient 23
enrolled as a full -time or part -time student at the participating 24
institution. 25
b. In addition to reporting the grade point average, beginning with 26
the 2010 -2011 academic year, eac h participating institution shall 27
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certify to the authority at the close of each award period whether a 1
Kentucky educational excellence scholarship recipient who 2
initially enrolled in college in 2009 -2010 or thereafter is on track 3
to graduate. 4
7. Any studen t who loses eligibility through failure to maintain the 5
required cumulative grade point average may regain eligibility in a 6
subsequent award period upon reestablishing at least a 2.5 cumulative 7
grade point average or its equivalent during a subsequent awar d period, 8
as certified by the participating institution. 9
(5) The expiration of a student's eight (8) academic terms and five (5) year eligibility 10
shall be extended by the authority upon a determination that the student was unable 11
to enroll for or complete an academic term due to any of the following 12
circumstances: 13
(a) A serious and extended illness or injury of the student, certified by an 14
attending physician; 15
(b) The death or serious and extended illness or injury of an immediate family 16
member of the stude nt, certified by an attending physician, which would 17
render the student unable to attend classes; 18
(c) Natural disasters that would render a student unable to attend classes; or 19
(d) 1. Active duty status for the student in the United States Armed Forces or 20
as an officer in the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public 21
Health Service, or active service by the student in the Peace Corps Act 22
or the Americorps, for the total number of years during which the 23
student was on active duty status. The number of m onths served on 24
active duty status shall be rounded up to the next higher year to 25
determine the maximum length of eligibility extension allowed. 26
2. A student whose eligibility expired prior to July 15, 2008, due to the 27
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three (3) year time limit on eligibil ity extensions imposed by this 1
paragraph prior to July 15, 2008, shall have his or her eligibility 2
reinstated for the number of years beyond the three (3) years during 3
which he or she was on active duty status. The number of months served 4
on active duty st atus shall be rounded up to the next higher year to 5
determine the maximum length of eligibility extension allowed. 6
(6) An eligible postsecondary student who is enrolled at a participating institution in a 7
five (5) year undergraduate degree program designat ed in an administrative 8
regulation promulgated by the authority shall be eligible to receive the Kentucky 9
educational excellence scholarship, the Kentucky educational excellence 10
scholarship and the supplemental award, or the supplemental award only for a 11
maximum of ten (10) academic terms. The expiration of an eligible postsecondary 12
student's five (5) year eligibility shall be extended to six (6) years for eligible 13
postsecondary students meeting the requirements of this subsection. 14
(7) Each participating institution shall notify its students of their terms of eligibility. 15
(8) Each eligible high school student who attains a 28 or above on the ACT and a 4.0 16
grade point average for all four (4) years of high school shall be designated as a 17
"Senator Jeff Green S cholar" in honor of the late Senator Jeff Green of Mayfield, 18
Kentucky, First District, and shall be recognized by the high school in a manner 19
consistent with recognition given by the high school to other high levels of 20
academic achievement. 21
Section 4. KRS 164.7884 is amended to read as follows: 22
(1) As used in this section: 23
(a) "Academic year" means July 1 through June 30 of each year; 24
(b) "Apprentice" has the same meaning as in KRS 343.010; 25
(c) "Approved workforce solutions training program" means a local high -demand 26
work sector training program that is approved by the authority and is offered 27
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by the Kentucky Community and Technical College System through 1
consultation with representatives of the local workforce development area and 2
the local Kentucky Community and Technical College System campus where 3
the program will be offered; 4
(d) "Eligible college of art and design" means a college that: 5
1. Qualifies as a tax exempt organization pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of 6
the Internal Revenue Code: 7
2. Is conditionally or unconditionally licensed by the Council on 8
Postsecondary Education; 9
3. Is a candidate for accreditation by a regional accrediting association 10
recognized by the United States Department of Education; 11
4. Has its main campus physically located in Kentucky; 12
5. Limits its degree program offerings to the area of fine arts; and 13
6. Does not qualify as a participating institution as defined in KRS 14
164.7874; 15
(e) "Eligible student" means an eligible high school student who has graduated 16
from high school or a student eligible under KRS 164.7879(3)(d)[(e)]; 17
(f) "Proprietary school" means a school that: 18
1. Is licensed by the Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education; 19
2. Has operated for at least five (5) years; 20
3. Has its headquarters or main campus physically located in Kentucky; 21
and 22
4. Does not qualify as a participating institution under KRS 164.7874(20); 23
(g) "Qualified proprietary school program" means a program offered by a 24
proprietary school that is in the field of agriculture as defined in KRS 246.010 25
or is in one (1) of Kentucky's top five (5) high -demand work sectors as 26
determined by the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board; 27
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(h) "Qualified workforce training program" means a program that is in one (1) of 1
Kentucky's top five (5) high -demand work sectors as determined by the 2
Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board; 3
(i) "Registered apprenticeship program" means an apprenticeship program that: 4
1. Is established in accordance with the requirements of KRS Chapter 343; 5
2. Requires a minimum of two thousand (2,000) hours of on -the-job work 6
experience; 7
3. Requires a minimum of one hundred forty -four (144) hours of related 8
instruction for each year of the apprenticeship; and 9
4. Is approved by the Education and Labor Cabinet; 10
(j) "Related instruction" has the same meaning as in KRS 343.010; and 11
(k) "Sponsor" has the same meaning as in KRS 343.010. 12
(2) Notwithstanding KRS 164.7881, an eligible student who earned a KEES award 13
shall be eligible for a Kentucky educational excellence scholarship if the student 14
meets the requirements of this section and is: 15
(a) An apprentice in a registered apprenticeship program; 16
(b) Enrolled in a qualified workforce training program that has a current 17
articulation agreement for postsecondary credit hours with a participating 18
institution; 19
(c) Enrolled in a qualified proprietary school program; 20
(d) Enrolled in an approved workforce solutions training program; or 21
(e) Enrolled in an eligible college of art and design. 22
(3) (a) Beginning with the 2018-2019 academic year, an eligible student enrolled in a 23
registered apprenticeship program or, for the academic year beginning July 1, 24
2020, an eligible student enrolled in a qualified workforce training program 25
or, for the academic year beginning July 1, 2023, an eligible student enrolled 26
in a qualified proprietary school program, an approved workforce solutions 27
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training program, or a n eligible college of art and design, may receive 1
reimbursement of tuition, books, required tools, and other approved expenses 2
required for participation in the program, upon certification by the sponsor, 3
school, or college and approval by the authority. 4
(b) The reimbursement amount an eligible student may receive in an academic 5
year shall not exceed the student's KEES award maximum. 6
(c) The total reimbursement amount an eligible student may receive under this 7
section shall not exceed the student's KEES aw ard maximum multiplied by 8
four (4). 9
(4) Eligibility for a KEES scholarship under this section shall terminate upon the earlier 10
of: 11
(a) The expiration of five (5) years following the eligible student's graduation 12
from high school or receiving a High School Equivalency Diploma, except as 13
provided in KRS 164.7881(5); or 14
(b) The eligible student's successful completion of the registered apprenticeship 15
program, qualified workforce training program, qualified proprietary school 16
program, or approved workforce solutions training program. 17
(5) The authority shall promulgate administrative regulations establishing the 18
procedures for making awards under this section in consultation with the [ 19
Kentucky] Education and Labor Cabinet and the Cabinet for[ Kentucky] Economic 20
Development[ Cabinet]. 21