Starting in Fall 2019, students who enroll at EKU will earn scholarships based on prior EKU Dual Credit course work or their performance on Advanced Placement (AP) exams. This new scholarship opportunity, called The Study Strong Award, provides one-time scholarships up to $2,400.
The award can be stacked on top of EKU’s new merit awards that range from $2,000 to $16,000 per year, and combined with other scholarships and financial aid. “It’s a really nice bonus for hardworking students,” EKU Admissions Director Stephanie Whaley said.
Study Strong recipients earn $300 for every EKU Dual Credit grade of A, or for every AP exam score of 5, $225 for every B or 4 and $150 for every C or 3, up to the maximum award.
Study Strong is designed to enhance the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES), which rewards strong high-school GPAs and ACT scores. “It’s an additional incentive for students who challenge themselves with college coursework in high school to look at EKU’s stellar programs and become part of the Colonel family,” said John Williamson, Dean of K-12 programs at EKU. “We expect to see many of Kentucky’s best and brightest in our upcoming freshman classes.”
The new award complements the existing benefits of EKU Dual Credit — namely, the awarding of college credit to students during high school, which can drastically shorten their time to college graduation.
“EKU Dual Credit currently partners with more than 50 high schools, in addition to our home school partners, serving over 1,100 students,” said Christine Bogie, EKU Dual Credit Manager. “Our dual credit students who choose to attend EKU as freshmen are some of our most successful students. While most will also qualify for 4-year merit scholarships, the Study Strong Award is an additional scholarship for students who have applied themselves and have proven success at EKU. These students truly deserve this additional award.”
The award is structured to allow students to double their investment in EKU Dual Credit courses in just one or two years by getting a top grade, according to Dr. Ryan Wilson, Senior Director of Regional Programming. “If the state scholarship is used to pay for the course, the Study Strong Award is 100 percent money gained. We think that’s an incredible return on investment and hope families see that as well,” he said.
The scholarships also complement the benefits of Advanced Placement courses, which allow students to test out of low-level college courses. “AP students are some of the best students in the state and, like with KEES, we want to reward them for striving for success and scoring well on their exams,” Whaley said.
To receive the Study Strong award, students must attend EKU in the term following high school graduation. While EKU does accept dual credit course work from other colleges and universities, only students who have taken EKU Dual Credit courses are eligible for the Study Strong Award.
The Study Strong Scholarship replaces the EKU Now! Scholarship, which funded one dual credit course per semester for high school students.