House Committee Approves College Completion Grants

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...A measure approved by the House Education Committee Tuesday would provide Kentucky Appalachian College Completion Grants to be funded by coal severance tax revenue earmarked for multi-county economic development projects in the region. Students with 60 credit hours could get as much as $6,000 per academic year if they attend private schools that offer four-year degrees, and $2,000 a year if they go to public university extension campuses in the area. HB 260 was approved by the House Education Committee with 21 yes votes, three nos and one pass. Paul Patton, president of the University of Pikeville, said that while he still thinks UPike should be a public regional university, the debate revealed the extent to which students in eastern Kentucky have fallen behind the rest of the state in college attainment. House Speaker Greg Stumbo said the bill probably would incorporate an idea from House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, that would put aside some of the grant money for students to be able to attend a regional school outside of eastern Kentucky if they wanted to get a specialized degree. Stumbo says he hopes the grant program can help as many as 1,500 students a year.