The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet recently awarded 34 promising students from across the state college scholarships to help further their pursuit of careers in civil engineering, construction management, and engineering technology.
[Above image by KYTC]
Now in its 75th year, the KYTC’s Transportation Scholarship program includes money for tuition, a paid summer job or co-op and the guarantee of full-time employment with the cabinet upon graduation.
Recipients agree to serve a year with KYTC for every year of scholarship assistance. If a graduate chooses to go elsewhere before fulfilling the employment obligation, the scholarship must be repaid year for year, the agency noted.
“We are helping to educate the next generation of transportation leaders in Kentucky,” noted Governor Andy Beshear (D) in a statement.
“Each of these scholarships is an investment,” he added. “The return on these investments for Kentucky taxpayers will be engineering and construction careers dedicated to the building, maintenance and continuous improvement of a modern and efficient transportation system.”
Former scholarship recipients have held top KYTC management positions, including secretaries and deputy secretaries of the cabinet, chiefs of staff, state highway engineers, chief district engineers and branch managers.
“This scholarship is a proven pipeline to recruiting and retaining top talent in our state,” stressed KYTC Secretary Jim Gray.
The Civil Engineering Scholarship is for students focusing on a four-year engineering degree and attend the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University or Kentucky State University. It is awarded to anywhere from 20 to 30 new students and can be worth up to $59,200, ranging from $7,200 to $7,600 per semester.
Meanwhile, the Construction Management Scholarship – offered for the first time in 2023 – affords graduates an opportunity to work on various transportation infrastructure projects around Kentucky. It is offered for students at Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State, Murray State, Northern Kentucky University and Western Kentucky. It, too, can be worth more than $59,000, ranging from $7,200 to $7,600 per semester.
Finally, the Civil Engineering Technology Scholarship – established in 2009 – partners with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System or KCTCS. Each scholarship student will receive $3,700 per semester to complete an associate’s degree in Civil Engineering Technology from either of the KCTCS campuses in Lexington or Prestonsburg.
The next cycle of applications begins in November 2023, with an application submission deadline of February 1, 2024.