FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 22, 2022) — Kentucky’s child care providers may be eligible for the Early Childhood Development Scholarship to further their education in early childhood instruction.
"Kentucky's economy is growing at a greater rate than it has in the past 25 years," Gov. Andy Beshear said. "To maintain that economic growth, we need a trained, educated workforce with technical, business, and academic training. Early childhood education is critical to ensuring that the coming generation will be equipped to take their places in Kentucky's economy."
The scholarships, which cover tuition and mandatory fees up to $6,305 per semester for the 2022–2023 year, are available to those who work at least 20 hours per week in a participating early childhood facility. Kentuckians employed as a preschool associate teacher in a state-funded preschool program are also eligible. Recipients must be working toward one of the following:
- Child development associate credential,
- Associate’s degree in early childhood education,
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in interdisciplinary early childhood education, or
- Kentucky early childhood development director’s certificate.
The scholarship is administered by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA). The application deadline for the summer 2022 term is April 15. The application for fall 2022 opens on April 16.
To apply, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and an Early Childhood Development Scholarship application. The FAFSA is available at studentaid.gov. The scholarship application is available at kheaa.com. To complete the scholarship application, students must set up a KHEAA account.
KHEAA administers other state student aid programs as well, including the Lottery-funded Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) and the College Access Program (CAP) grant.
In addition, KHEAA’s sister agency, the Kentucky Higher Education Student Loan Corporation (KHESLC) offers private Advantage Education Loans for students and parents. For more information about Advantage Education Loans, visit advantageeducationloan.com.
For more information about Kentucky scholarships and grants, visit kheaa.com; write KHEAA, P.O. Box 798, Frankfort, KY 40602; or call 800-928-8926.