CHAPTER 67
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CHAPTER 67
( SB 54 )
AN ACT relating to Kentucky educational excellence scholarships.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:
Section 1. KRS 164.7884 is amended to read as follows:
(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Academic year" means July 1 through June 30 of each year;
(b) "Apprentice" has the same meaning as in KRS 343.010;
(c) "Approved workforce solutions training program" means a local high-demand work sector training
program that is approved by the authority and is offered by the Kentucky Community and Technical
College System through consultation with representatives of the local workforce development area
and the local Kentucky Community and Technical College System campus where the program will be
offered;
(d) "Eligible college of art and design" means a college that:
1. Qualifies as a tax exempt organization pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Code:
2. Is conditionally or unconditionally licensed by the Council on Postsecondary Education;
3. Is a candidate for accreditation by a regional accrediting association recognized by the United
States Department of Education;
4. Has its main campus physically located in Kentucky;
5. Limits its degree program offerings to the area of fine arts; and
6. Does not qualify as a participating institution as defined in KRS 164.7874;
(e) "Eligible student" means an eligible high school student who has graduated from high school or a
student eligible under KRS 164.7879(3)(e);
(f) "Proprietary school" means a school that:
1. Is licensed by the Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education;
2. Has operated for at least five (5) years;
3. Has its headquarters or main campus physically located in Kentucky; and
4. Does not qualify as a participating institution under KRS 164.7874(20);
(g) "Qualified proprietary school program" means a program offered by a proprietary school that is in
the field of agriculture as defined in KRS 246.010 or is in one (1) of Kentucky's top five (5) high-
demand work sectors as determined by the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board;
(h)[(d)] "Qualified workforce training program" means a program that is in one (1) of Kentucky's top five
(5) high-demand work sectors as determined by the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board;
(i)[(e)] "Registered apprenticeship program" means an apprenticeship program that:
1. Is established in accordance with the requirements of KRS Chapter 343;
2. Requires a minimum of two thousand (2,000) hours of on-the-job work experience;
3. Requires a minimum of one hundred forty-four (144) hours of related instruction for each year of
the apprenticeship; and
4. Is approved by the Education and Labor Cabinet;
(j)[(f)] "Related instruction" has the same meaning as in KRS 343.010; and ACTS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2
(k)[(g)] "Sponsor" has the same meaning as in KRS 343.010.
(2) Notwithstanding KRS 164.7881, an eligible student who earned a KEES award shall be eligible for a
Kentucky educational excellence scholarship if the student meets the requirements of this section and is:
(a) An apprentice in a registered apprenticeship program;[ or]
(b) Enrolled in a qualified workforce training program that has a current articulation agreement for
postsecondary credit hours with a participating institution;
(c) Enrolled in a qualified proprietary school program;
(d) Enrolled in an approved workforce solutions training program; or
(e) Enrolled in an eligible college of art and design.
(3) (a) Beginning with the 2018-2019 academic year, an eligible student enrolled in a registered apprenticeship
program or, for the academic year beginning July 1, 2020, an eligible student enrolled in a qualified
workforce training program or, for the academic year beginning July 1, 2023, an eligible student
enrolled in a qualified proprietary school program, an approved workforce solutions training
program, or an eligible college of art and design, may receive reimbursement of tuition, books,
required tools, and other approved expenses required for participation in the program, upon certification
by the sponsor, school, or college and approval by the authority.
(b) The reimbursement amount an eligible student may receive in an academic year shall not exceed the
student's KEES award maximum.
(c) The total reimbursement amount an eligible student may receive under this section shall not exceed the
student's KEES award maximum multiplied by four (4).
(4) Eligibility for a KEES scholarship under this section shall terminate upon the earlier of:
(a) The expiration of five (5) years following the eligible student's graduation from high school or receiving
a High School Equivalency Diploma, except as provided in KRS 164.7881(5); or
(b) The eligible student's successful completion of the registered apprenticeship program, [or ]qualified
workforce training program, qualified proprietary school program, or approved workforce solutions
training program.
(5) The authority shall promulgate administrative regulations establishing the procedures for making awards under
this section in consultation with the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet and the Kentucky Economic
Development Cabinet.
Section 2. KRS 164.7879 is amended to read as follows:
(1) Kentucky educational excellence scholarship awards shall be based upon an established base scholarship
amount and an eligible high school student's grade point average. The base scholarship amount for students
attaining a grade point average of at least 2.5 for the 1998-1999 academic year shall be as follows:
GPA Amount GPA Amount
2.50 $125.00 3.30 $325.00
2.60 $150.00 3.40 $350.00
2.70 $175.00 3.50 $375.00
2.75 $187.00 3.60 $400.00
2.80 $200.00 3.70 $425.00
2.90 $225.00 3.75 $437.00
3.00 $250.00 3.80 $450.00
3.10 $275.00 3.90 $475.00
3.20 $300.00 4.00 $500.00
3.25 $312.00 CHAPTER 67
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The authority shall review the base amount of the Kentucky educational excellence scholarship each academic
year and may promulgate an administrative regulation to make adjustments after considering the availability of
funds.
(2) (a) The authority shall commit to provide to each eligible high school student the base amount of the
Kentucky educational excellence scholarship for each academic year of high school study in the
Kentucky educational excellence scholarship curriculum that the high school student has attained at
least a 2.5 grade point average. The award shall be based upon the eligible high school student's grade
point average at the close of each academic year. An award attributable to a past academic year shall
not be increased after the award has been earned by an eligible high school student, regardless of any
subsequent increases made to the base amount of the Kentucky educational excellence scholarship
through the promulgation of an administrative regulation by the authority.
(b) Notwithstanding the definitions of "eligible high school student" and "high school" in KRS 164.7874,
any high school student who maintains Kentucky residency and completes the academic courses that
are required for a Kentucky educational excellence scholarship while participating in an approved
educational high school foreign exchange program or participating in the United States Congressional
Page School may apply his or her grade point average for that academic year toward the base as
described in paragraph (a) of this subsection. The grade point average shall be reported by the student's
Kentucky home high school, based on an official transcript from the school that the student attended
during the out-of-state educational experience. The authority shall promulgate administrative
regulations that describe the approval process for the educational exchange programs that qualify under
this paragraph. The provisions in this paragraph shall likewise apply to any Kentucky high school
student who participated in an approved educational exchange program or in a Congressional Page
School since the 1998-99 school year and maintained his or her Kentucky residency throughout.
(c) 1. Notwithstanding the definitions of "eligible high school student" and "high school" in KRS
164.7874 and the requirement that a student graduate from a Kentucky high school, a high school
student who completes the KEES curriculum while attending an accredited out-of-state high
school or Department of Defense school may apply the grade point average for any applicable
academic year toward the base as described in paragraph (a) of this subsection and shall also
qualify for a supplemental award under subsection (3) of this section when:
a. His or her custodial parent or guardian is in active service of the Armed Forces of the
United States;[ and]
b. The[ custodial parent or guardian maintained Kentucky as the home of record at the time
the] student attended an accredited out-of-state high school or a Department of Defense
school as a result of the custodial parent's or guardian's military transfer outside of
Kentucky; and
c. The student earned a KEES base amount at a Kentucky high school prior to the
custodial parent's or guardian's military transfer outside of Kentucky.
2. The student or parent shall arrange for the out-of-state school to report the student's grade point
average each academic year and the student's highest ACT score to the authority as required
under KRS 164.7885. The authority shall promulgate administrative regulations implementing
the requirements in this paragraph, including:
a. The documentation that the parent shall submit to the authority establishing the student's
eligibility for the scholarship; and
b. The assurances that an out- of state institution shall submit to the authority for submission
of the student grade point average.
3. The provisions in this paragraph shall apply to the 2001-2002 school year and thereafter.
(d) Beginning with the 2013-2014 academic year, a student who meets the Kentucky core academic
standards for high school graduation established in administrative regulation and graduates after
completing three (3) years of high school shall receive a Kentucky educational excellence scholarship
award equivalent to completing high school in four (4) years. The award shall be determined by
dividing the total actual KEES scholarship earned under subsection (1) of this section by three (3) and ACTS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 4
multiplying that number by four (4). The resulting number shall be the annual award the student is
eligible for under subsection (1) of this section.
(3) (a) The authority shall commit to provide to each eligible high school student graduating from high school
before June 30, 1999, and achieving a score of at least 15 on the American College Test, a supplemental
award for the award period beginning in the fall of 1999, based on the eligible high school student's
highest ACT score attained by the date of graduation from high school. The amount of the supplemental
award shall be determined as follows:
ACT Annual ACT Annual
Score Bonus Score Bonus
15 $21 22 $171
16 $43 23 $193
17 $64 24 $214
18 $86 25 $236
19 $107 26 $257
20 $129 27 $279
21 $150 28 or above $300
Subsequent supplemental awards for eligible high school students graduating before June 30, 1999,
shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (b) of this subsection.
(b) The authority shall commit to provide to each eligible high school student upon achievement after June
30, 1999, of an ACT score of at least 15 on the American College Test a supplemental award based on
the eligible high school student's highest ACT score attained by the date of graduation from high
school. The amount of the supplemental award shall be determined as follows:
ACT ACT
Score Amount Score Amount
15 $36 22 $286
16 $71 23 $321
17 $107 24 $357
18 $143 25 $393
19 $179 26 $428
20 $214 27 $464
21 $250 28 and above $500
The authority shall review the base amount of the supplemental award beginning with the 2001-2002
academic year and each academic year thereafter and may promulgate an administrative regulation to
make adjustments after considering the availability of funds.
(c) Beginning with the 2008-2009 academic year, the authority shall commit to provide a supplemental
award for achievement on examinations for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate as
defined in KRS 164.002 to an eligible high school student whose family was eligible for free or
reduced-price lunch for any year during high school enrollment.
1. The supplemental award for AP examination scores are as follows:
a. Two hundred dollars ($200) for each score of three (3);
b. Two hundred fifty dollars ($250) for each score of four (4); and
c. Three hundred dollars ($300) for each score of five (5).
2. The supplemental award for IB examination scores are as follows:
a. Two hundred dollars ($200) for each score of five (5); CHAPTER 67
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b. Two hundred fifty dollars ($250) for each score of six (6); and
c. Three hundred dollars ($300) for each score of seven (7).
(d) Beginning with the 2013-2014 academic year, the authority shall commit to provide a supplemental
award for achievement on examinations for Cambridge Advanced International as defined in KRS
164.002 to an eligible high school student whose family was eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch
for any year during high school enrollment. The supplemental award for Cambridge Advanced
International examination scores are as follows:
1. Two hundred dollars ($200) for each score of "e";
2. Two hundred fifty dollars ($250) for each score of "c" or "d"; and
3. Three hundred dollars ($300) for each score of "a*", "a", or "b".
(e) The authority shall promulgate administrative regulations establishing the eligibility criteria and
procedures for making a supplemental award to Kentucky residents who are citizens, nationals, or
permanent residents of the United States and who graduate from a nonpublic secondary school not
certified by the Kentucky Board of Education and Kentucky residents who are citizens, nationals, or
permanent residents of the United States and who obtain a High School Equivalency Diploma within
five (5) years of their high school graduating class, and students under subsection (2)(c) of this section
who do not attend an accredited high school.
Signed by Governor March 22, 2023.