The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education this week approved the resident rate of tuition for students displaced by crises in their home countries. The new Kentucky Innovative Scholarship program is supported by a $10 million appropriation this year by the General Assembly. CPE President Aaron Thompson said this program could place refugees at Kentucky universities as early as this spring.
“Looking at how we can become a state that is more accepting of others and how we can have our students in this state learn from people different than they are and have those students learn our rich way of life,” said Thompson.
In part due to the conflict in Ukraine, Thompson noted the number of refugees coming to the Commonwealth has been growing. The CPE leader added the tuition assistance can benefit those refugees who have been in Kentucky for some time as well as new arrivals.
“We haven’t all the time had the kind of resources in higher education to do our part in helping them to get a viable postsecondary certificate or degree that helps them to then move beyond the status of that and become very much a part of our state,” said Thompson.
Thompson said many Kentucky university campuses can help provide low or no-cost support for refugees. He noted wrap-around services are also a part of the program.
