You CAN afford college

It’s an understatement to say Kentuckians and the rest of the nation are ready for the pandemic to be behind them. We’ve seen students struggle with health issues, lack of childcare and technology challenges. Worst of all, our students, and people from throughout the Commonwealth, are struggling financially. We’ve said hundreds of times, the best way to improve your financial situation is through education. Yet, many people still think they can’t afford college.

The 16 colleges of KCTCS have the lowest tuition in Kentucky and it will stay the same low cost for another year. Our Board of Regents voted last week to freeze tuition at the same rate students are paying now, which is $179 per credit hour for Kentuckians. This is less than half the cost of Kentucky’s four-year universities.

The board and I feel it’s important to take this step to try to help as many people as we can. I know some will think it doesn’t matter and that college is still too costly. As they say on infomercials: Wait. There’s more!

Our colleges offer a plethora of scholarships and grants, including the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship that is funded by the Kentucky Lottery. This scholarship covers tuition for hundreds of programs in fields that are in demand, like health care and manufacturing.

Many of our colleges also have earn and learn programs like KY FAME and other apprenticeship-style experiences. In most cases, the company sponsoring the student covers some or all of the cost and students are earning a wage while attending college. You can’t beat it!

And don’t forget … it doesn’t take four years to earn a credential at KCTCS. Some can be earned in weeks, not years. If you want to get training quickly and get to work, there are many short-term programs from which to choose.

So, although we’re over the top excited to freeze our tuition, there are many ways to pay for college, go for free or almost free. Some of our students have no out-of-pocket expenses because of grants and scholarships.

Kentucky – what are you waiting for? You CAN better your life. The time is now. The place is KCTCS. Find out all you need to know at kctcs.edu or talk to the folks at your local college.