Calculation of educational excellence scholarship awards -- Inclusion of certain out-of-state educational experience in grade point average calculation - - Graduation after three years -- Supplemental award eligibility and calculation of amounts
KRS 164.7879
in effect164.7879. Calculation of educational excellence scholarship awards -- Inclusion of certain out-of-state educational experience in grade point average calculation - - Graduation after three years -- Supplemental award eligibility and calculation of amounts
(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 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 h as 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 ha s 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 a nd 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; b. 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 bas e 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 au thority 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 t he 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) y ears 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 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); 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 scor es 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, nat ionals, 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.
Effective: June 29, 2023
History: Amended 2023 Ky. Acts ch. 67, sec. 2, effective June 29, 2023. -- Amended 2017 Ky. Acts ch. 63, sec. 23, effective June 29, 2017. -- Amended 2015 Ky. Acts ch. 112, sec. 2, effective April 2, 2015. -- Amended 2013 Ky. Acts ch. 104, sec. 5, effective June 25, 2013; and ch. 105, s ec. 1, effective June 25, 2013. -- Amended 2008 Ky. Acts ch. 134, sec. 23, effective July 15, 2008. -- Amended 2005 Ky. Acts ch. 117, sec. 3, effective June 20, 2005. -- Amended 2002 Ky. Acts ch. 278, sec. 1, effective July 15, 2002. -- Amended 2001 Ky. Acts ch. 25, sec. 1, effective June 21, 2001. -- Amended 2000 Ky. Acts ch. 13, sec. 3, effective July 14, 2000; and ch. 198, sec. 3, effective July 14, 2000. -- Created 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 575, sec. 4, effective July 15, 1998. 2026-2028 Budget Reference. See State/Executive Branch Budget, 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 168, Pt. I, K, 2, (4) at 2103. Legislative Research Commission Note (4/2/2015). 2015 Ky. Acts ch. 112, sec. 6 provides that the amendments made to this statute in Section 2 of that Act shall be applied retroactively beginning with the 2013-2014 academic year. Legislative Research Commission Note (11/1/2006). Due to a manifest clerical or typographical error by the drafter of 2005 Ky. Acts ch. 117, the words "for submission" following "to the authority" in subsection (2)(b)2.b. of this statute were inadvertently deleted from the text as created in 2002 Ky. Acts ch. 278, sec. 1. Those words have been reinserted by the Reviser of Statutes under the authority of KRS 7.136.
Source: Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (legislature.ky.gov)URL: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=53793Fetched: 10/20/2026