Bethany Orr’s family hails from Appalachia, where poverty is widespread and the idea of going to college can seem as far-fetched as flying to the moon. Just being able to attend Eastern Kentucky University, where she’s studying biology pre-medical science, has felt like a blessing. But the scholarship that’s helped her pay for it has proven a godsend that has Orr on track to receive her degree.
“This scholarship will allow me to continue my education and relieve the financial burden on myself and my family,” says Orr, part of the Class of 2022. “I am proud to be an upcoming graduate.”
Orr is one of the thousands of EKU students who’s had their college experience enhanced by an expanded scholarship program that helps them achieve their degree and take steps toward a brighter future. About 75 percent of EKU’s currently enrolled students are receiving some kind of aid, half of those from the university’s merit scholarship program. Those scholarship dollars can make the difference between a student receiving a degree and pursuing a promising career field—or never making it to college at all.
“This scholarship has completely changed my financial situation when it comes to higher education,” says Laura Webb, a public health major in EKU’s Class of 2025. “I no longer have to worry about making ends meet or taking out student loans. It’s no secret that student loans are bad and haunt you throughout adulthood. But because of this scholarship, I am no longer trapped with that burden.”
Scholarships for every type of student
Nearly 90 percent of EKU students are Kentucky residents, and almost 70 percent of graduates are first-generation college students, come from low-income backgrounds, or both. It’s long been EKU’s mission to remove the barriers, many of them financial, separating those students from college degrees. That’s why EKU instituted the BookSmart program which provides free textbooks and offers housing and food awards for those students in need.
“We take it very seriously,” says Bethany Miller, who oversees financial aid and scholarships at EKU. “And we are doing everything we can on campus to increase that communication to students and parents, not only through the financial aid counselors but also through our admissions office. As a school of opportunity, it’s just necessary that we do it.”
That mission led EKU to eliminate mandatory ACT or SAT scores from qualification for the first three tiers of the university’s merit scholarship program, which can award in-state students up to $6,000 annually toward tuition. Although that change was made at the height of the pandemic when many students didn’t have access to standardized test sites, it was maintained to encourage more Kentucky students to attend and complete college.
“EKU is really committed to making sure that we help alleviate financial barriers to student success, and so we've purposefully designed our scholarship programs to ensure as many students as possible can receive financial assistance,” Miller says. “We're really trying to break down those barriers and make sure that students can afford college, to make sure it’s not a reason that they can't persist.”
EKU has added $10 million over the past decade to its scholarship program, which now provides around $35 million in annual scholarship awards. In addition to merit scholarships, there are also available awards based on need, diversity, and first-generation student status. There are scholarships specific to certain academic departments, for summer and winter terms, and out-of-state and transfer students. There are also scholarships awarded through the EKU Foundation, which this past academic year gave out 1,195 awards totaling $1.3 million.
“Any student at EKU can probably find an award which could be suitable for them,” Miller says. “And we will work with students to help them find those awards.”
Know the deadline, and fill out a FAFSA
The first step toward securing scholarship funds is knowing the application deadlines: for new students planning to enroll in the fall of 2022, the deadline is April 15 for EKU scholarships and May 1 for EKU Foundation scholarships. Students and their families also need to fill out the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which determines what federal or state higher education funding they may be eligible for.
Details on scholarships available through EKU and the EKU Foundation can be found on their respective websites. Students apply for the scholarships through a new web portal, where “our technology reads all their criteria and makes available to them anything they may be eligible for,” Miller says. “And we have hundreds of scholarships in that portal. It's really making the process a lot easier.”
And making college a more realistic option for more Kentucky students—including Wesley Ashby, a computer forensics and security major, and the first member of his family to pursue higher education.
“Being a first-generation student has proved to be difficult for me; finding extra money has not been easy,” says Ashby, a member of the Class of 2025. “This scholarship will definitely contribute to my education and educational goals in the near future. I am thrilled to continue my education at EKU and again cannot thank them enough for helping to make it possible!”
Interested in more information on the scholarships available at Eastern Kentucky University? Contact the EKU financial aid office by phone at (859) 622-2361, by email at scholarships@eku.edu, or visit their website at www.eku.edu/scholarships/.
