By Ralph Derickson

UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. discusses the new scholarship program with several Governor's Scholars and alums of the Governor's School for the Arts.

"These scholarships are prime investments in Kentucky's future as we search for creative ways to keep the Commonwealth's brightest and best students in the state during their college careers.

-- Lee T. Todd Jr.,
president,
University of Kentucky.

Aug. 14, 2001 – (Lexington, Ky.) – University of Kentucky President Lee T. Todd Jr. today announced several new initiatives in UK student recruiting including a full-tuition scholarship offer for Kentucky Governor's Scholars and Governor's School for the Arts alumni who meet certain academic qualifications beginning with the fall 2002 class.

To receive a full-tuition, four-year scholarship valued at $15,000 at the current UK tuition, a Governor's Scholar must score 28 or better on the American College Test and have a cumulative 3.3 high school grade point average. A full-tuition scholarship for a Governor's School for the Arts alum will be awarded based on other criteria reflecting exceptional creative and artistic talent. Other Governor's Scholars and Governor's School for the Arts students will be offered a $1,500 annual scholarship for up to four years of support.

"These scholarships are prime investments in Kentucky's future as we search for creative ways to keep the Commonwealth's brightest and best students in the state during their college careers," Todd said.

About 100 Governor's Scholars and alumni of the Governor's School for the Arts are enrolled in UK's 2001 freshman class, according to Philipp J. Kraemer, associate provost for undergraduate education.

"We fully anticipate this offer will double that number for the fall class of 2002," he said.

There are 1,000 Governor's Scholars and 200 students in the Governor's School for the Arts this year.

In addition to these scholarships, President Todd also announced a new endowment program for graduate and professional students at UK that will provide annual fellowships to incoming graduate, law, dentistry and medical students at UK who are graduates of Kentucky's 19 accredited independent colleges.

The endowment is being established with a $300,000 pledge from the Cralle Foundation of Louisville that will create and endow the Cralle Foundation/Joan Cralle Day Graduate Fellowship Endowment in the Graduate School. Joan Cralle Day is president of the foundation. The Cralle Foundation is a family foundation that supports a variety of initiatives in the Louisville area, with primary emphasis on private education.

UK Acting Provost Michael T. Nietzel said the Cralle pledge would be matched with Kentucky Research Challenge Trust Funds bringing the total endowment to $600,000 within a few years. These professional and graduate school fellowships also will help keep Kentucky's best students in the state, Nietzel said.

President Todd also announced that UK is establishing a new payment plan beginning with the spring 2002 semester allowing UK students to pay a semester's tuition and certain other fees in multiple installments. Students will be charged a modest service fee to take advantage of the multiple-payment plan.

For further information about the Governor's Scholars scholarship program, call Phillip J. Kraemer (859) 257-3027. For information about the Cralle Fellowships, call Doug Kalika, (859) 257-1759, and for additional information about the multiple-installment tuition and fee payment plan, call Linda Bradford, (859) 257-3406, extension 263.