Count Your KEES Money. You May Be Earning It Already!

The Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) is a program managed by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA). How does KEES work? Kentucky high school students earn KEES scholarships if they make at least a 2.5 GPA each year. The higher the GPA, the more money the student earns for higher education. Additional scholarship money is given for scores of 15 and above on the ACT and scores of 710 (math/verbal) and above on the SAT. For free/reduced lunch students, AP exams and IB tests earn you KEES money as well.

As you can see, there are many ways to earn KEES money, and this money can accumulate into a significant scholarship. For example, if you have a GPA of 3.6 each year of high school, you will earn $400 per year. Then, if you get a 21 on the ACT, that is an extra $250 for each year. Don’t forget that AP exam! If you qualify for free or reduced lunches, your score of 3 will earn you another $200 per year. Already that is $2050 for each year of college. So, if you attend a four-year degree program, you will have a total KEES scholarship of $8200!

The best part about the KEES scholarship (aside from the free money) is that no application is necessary. Kentucky students who meet the requirements automatically begin earning KEES money their freshman year in high school. To find out more about the requirements, visit the KHEAA Web site at https://www.kheaa.com/website/kheaa/home. To check how much money you have earned so far, go to https://www.kheaa.com/apps/registration/register-new. Register as a student and sign in to your KEES account. Soon you will realize how much money you can earn for higher education just by getting good grades in high school!

READERS, what do you think?

How much KEES money could you earn for higher education? And are there other sources of scholarship money you could add to your KEES scholarship to help pay for education?

Reference:

Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority. (2013). Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES). Retrieved from https://www.kheaa.com/website/kheaa/kees?main=1.