(1) As used in this section:
(a) “Academic year” means July 1 through June 30 of each year; (b) “Apprentice” has the same meaning as in KRS § 343.010;
(c) “Approved workforce solutions training program” means a local high-demand work sector training program that is approved by the authority and is offered by the Kentucky Community and Technical College System through consultation with representatives of the local workforce development area and the local Kentucky Community and Technical College System campus where the program will be offered;
(d) “Eligible college of art and design” means a college that:
1. Qualifies as a tax exempt organization pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code:
2. Is conditionally or unconditionally licensed by the Council on
Postsecondary Education;
3. Is a candidate for accreditation by a regional accrediting association recognized by the United States Department of Education;
4. Has its main campus physically located in Kentucky;
5. Limits its degree program offerings to the area of fine arts; and
6. Does not qualify as a participating institution as defined in KRS
164.7874;
(e) “Eligible student” means an eligible high school student who has graduated from high school or a student eligible under KRS § 164.7879(3)(e);
(f) “Proprietary school” means a school that:
1. Is licensed by the Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education;
2. Has operated for at least five (5) years;
3. Has its headquarters or main campus physically located in Kentucky;
and
4. Does not qualify as a participating institution under KRS § 164.7874(20); (g) “Qualified proprietary school program” means a program offered by a
proprietary school that is in the field of agriculture as defined in KRS § 246.010
or is in one (1) of Kentucky’s top five (5) high-demand work sectors as determined by the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board;
(h) “Qualified workforce training program” means a program that is in one (1) of Kentucky’s top five (5) high-demand work sectors as determined by the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board;
(i) “Registered apprenticeship program” means an apprenticeship program that:
1. Is established in accordance with the requirements of KRS Chapter 343;
2. Requires a minimum of two thousand (2,000) hours of on-the-job work experience;
3. Requires a minimum of one hundred forty-four (144) hours of related instruction for each year of the apprenticeship; and
4. Is approved by the Education and Labor Cabinet;
(j) “Related instruction” has the same meaning as in KRS § 343.010; and
(k) “Sponsor” has the same meaning as in KRS § 343.010.
(2) Notwithstanding KRS § 164.7881, an eligible student who earned a KEES award shall be eligible for a Kentucky educational excellence scholarship if the student meets the requirements of this section and is:
(a) An apprentice in a registered apprenticeship program;
(b) Enrolled in a qualified workforce training program that has a current articulation agreement for postsecondary credit hours with a participating institution;
(c) Enrolled in a qualified proprietary school program;
(d) Enrolled in an approved workforce solutions training program; or
(e) Enrolled in an eligible college of art and design.
(3) (a) Beginning with the 2018-2019 academic year, an eligible student enrolled in a registered apprenticeship program or, for the academic year beginning July 1,
2020, an eligible student enrolled in a qualified workforce training program or, for the academic year beginning July 1, 2023, an eligible student enrolled in a qualified proprietary school program, an approved workforce solutions training program, or an eligible college of art and design, may receive reimbursement of tuition, books, required tools, and other approved expenses required for participation in the program, upon certification by the sponsor, school, or college and approval by the authority.
(b) The reimbursement amount an eligible student may receive in an academic year shall not exceed the student’s KEES award maximum.
(c) The total reimbursement amount an eligible student may receive under this section shall not exceed the student’s KEES award maximum multiplied by four (4).
(4) Eligibility for a KEES scholarship under this section shall terminate upon the earlier of:
(a) The expiration of five (5) years following the eligible student’s graduation from high school or receiving a High School Equivalency Diploma, except as provided in KRS § 164.7881(5); or
(b) The eligible student’s successful completion of the registered apprenticeship program, qualified workforce training program, qualified proprietary school program, or approved workforce solutions training program.
(5) The authority shall promulgate administrative regulations establishing the procedures for making awards under this section in consultation with the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet and the Kentucky Economic Development Cabinet.
Effective: June 29, 2023
History: Amended 2023 Ky. Acts ch. 67, sec. 1, effective June 29, 2023. — Amended
2022 Ky. Acts ch. 236, sec. 87, effective July 1, 2022. — Amended 2019 Ky. Acts ch. 173, sec. 10, effective June 27, 2019; and ch. 186, sec. 2, effective June 27, 2019.
— Created 2017 Ky. Acts ch. 165, sec. 2, effective April 10, 2017.