Financial Aid

Beshear proclaims September 'College Savings Month' Gov. Steve Beshear has proclaimed September “College Savings Month” in Kentucky to emphasize the importance of saving early for college expenses. “As more employers expect their employees to have some education after high school, it becomes more important for families to plan early for college expenses,” Beshear said. “They can do so through the state's own college-saving plan, the Kentucky Education Savings Plan Trust (KESPT)

Dear Editor, As we approach the upcoming gubernatorial election, citizens of Lincoln County and Kentucky face an unprecedented set of obstacles in re-electing our sitting governor. Perhaps not since the Civil War has there been such a polarization amongst the citizens of our state. On the one side is the Republican Party, with clear-cut visions of morality and decency. We are the party of the "right to life" and the sanctity of traditional marriage. Kentucky does not need casino gambling and slot machines on display for our children to become accustomed to. Few intelligent people will deny the harm that the present lottery has brought to our state since the early 1990s.

Many sources of financial aid are available to help college-bound students pay higher education expenses, including federal and state grants, scholarships and Federal Stafford and PLUS Loans. In addition, merit-based scholarships and need-based grants are often available at the local level. All these programs may help ease the burden of paying for college; however, sometimes it is not enough to pay college costs. When that happens, parents and students may take advantage of private student loans, usually called alternative loans.

LEXINGTON - Bluegrass Community and Technical College students who receive financial aid have new guidelines to meet due to recent changes to the Federal Satisfactory Academic Policy. While there have always been academic guidelines set in order for students to receive federal and state financial aid, the new guidelines will help identify at-risk students earlier than before. “SAP is not new. Students have always been held responsible for academic performance,” Director of Financial Aid Runan Pendergrast said.

Mercer County election filings The following candidate filed for election in Mercer County: Milward Dedman, county-judge executive, Democrat, 1561 Lexington Road, Harrodsburg. BCHS to host financial aid class Boyle County High School is hosting a financial aid workshop for seniors and parents at 6 p.m. Dec. 10 in the high school library. The workshop will include training on how to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For more information call 236-5047 ext. 3078.

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System Board of Regents voted Dec. 8 to recommend a $115 per credit hour - including fees - in-state tuition rate for the 2007-08 academic year during the regular quarterly meeting in Versailles. The proposed in-state tuition rate is less than the rate allowed by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education tuition policy as approved for 2007-08. The proposed increase is $6 per credit hour, while the CPE policy would have allowed a $10 per credit hour rate increase.

BCHS to host financial aid workshop The Boyle County High School PTO and guidance counselors are hosting a workshop called "Paying for College 101" at 6 p.m. Thursday at the high school library. The 90-minute workshop provides high school seniors and their parents with the detailed information they need to apply for student financial aid. Learn about the financial aid process, including discovering when and how to apply for state and federal funds. Options for filling the gap if traditional financial aid does not meet your needs also will be discussed.

Financial aid workshop offered at Boyle County Public Library The Boyle County Public Library will host a financial aid workshop 2 p.m. Tuesday in the community room at the library. Topics include:  What is financial aid? How do I apply for this money? How much does college education cost?   Bluegrass Community and Technical College and Centre College financial aid representatives will be on hand to answer questions. The workshop is open to anyone interested in attending college or who has questions about the financial aid process.

West High Battle of the Bands set for Jan. 18 West Jessamine High School's 2012 Battle of the Bands will be Friday, Jan. 18, at 7 p.m. Bands can register for the competition by emailing westjessmarchingband@gmail.com. All middle-school and high-school bands of any genre are welcome. There is a $25 fee for registering. All proceeds support the West Jessamine High School band. 'Broadway Cameos' coming to Asbury The Asbury University Musical Theatre Ensemble is presenting “Broadway Cameos” Jan. 10-12, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. each night in the Greathouse Theatre in the Miller Center for Communication Arts.

In its just released “Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition,” Princeton Review has included Centre College on its list of the nation's top 75 best-buy private colleges. Centre is the only private college in Kentucky to make the list, and Kentucky is one of just 37 states represented. “Centre College remains committed to being a place of high achievement and high opportunity,” said John A. Roush, Centre's president since 1998, “and this recent ranking affirms our efforts. We seek the best and brightest, irrespective of economic background, and are dedicated to keeping costs down and offering financial aid to make a Centre education affordable to those who meet our academic qualifications.” News about the 2012 edition first appeared in a Feb. 7 front-page story in USA Today written by reporter Mary Beth Marklein, who interviewed Roush and University of Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman for her article.

LEXINGTON - Bluegrass Community and Technical College students who receive financial aid have new guidelines to meet due to recent changes to the Federal Satisfactory Academic Policy. While there have always been academic guidelines set in order for students to receive federal and state financial aid, the new guidelines will help identify at-risk students earlier than before. “SAP is not new. Students have always been held responsible for academic performance,” Director of Financial Aid Runan Pendergrast said.

Young musicians ages 15 - 20 are eligible to apply for the highly competitive Kennedy Center/National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Summer Music Institute held July 2-30 in Washington, D.C. Only one student from Kentucky will be selected to receive a National Trustees' fellowship, which is a full scholarship, including housing, food allowance and local transportation. The Summer Music Institute gives students an opportunity to work with NSO members, receive private lessons and chamber music coaching, attend master classes and seminars, participate in the Summer Music Institute orchestra and perform in the D.C. metropolitan area.