Written by Mark Payne, LINK nky reporter
When welder Blake Hawkins graduated from high school, he had earned a significant portion of KEES, or Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship, money. But, he didn’t want to go to a traditional post-secondary institution. He wanted to go to the Kentucky Welding Institute.
But unfortunately, students who want to use this scholarship money they earned in high school can’t currently use it for trade or proprietary schools. House Bill 234 hopes to change that by including proprietary schools in the list of programs that can accept KEES money, a program where students earn scholarship money for a GPA above 2.5.
“We’re not able to accept KEES money at present the way that KEES money is set up,” said KWI Director Adam Hinton, “but we honor that money.”
KWI is serving as a leader for proprietary schools that wants to change the law for KEES. Launched in 2015, the Flemingsburg-based company just south of Maysville decided to honor students’ KEES money, starting with Hawkins. Initially, they used it to attract students, but it became about doing the right thing, Hinton said.
“We’ve honored $146,760 in KEES money,” Hinton said of the amount they’ve put up for students since 2015. “We’ve never had anybody turn down our offer to honor that money.”
Accepting KEES Money at Proprietary Schools
Introduced by Co-Sponsors and Representatives William Lawrence (R-Maysville), Patrick Flannery (R-Olive Hill), Deanna Frazier Gordon (R-Richmond), Matthew Koch (R-Paris), and Josie Raymond (D-Louisville), House Bill 234 aims to add proprietary schools to the list of higher education institutions that can accept KEES money.
“We know for a fact that not everyone wants to go to the traditional route and get a four-year degree,” Lawrence said. “In fact, there’s a great need for those who choose trades and other industries. It’s important to find creative ways that meet the increased demand for a skilled talent pool, especially with the state’s rising labor shortage. Let’s help these learners get into careers they enjoy and can build a life doing.”
Lawrence and Koch introduced the bill to the House Standing Committee on Education on Jan. 25.
As part of the presentation, Hinton talked about their work at KWI.
“No doubt there are many other Kentucky proprietary schools that are unable to do what we do and honor this money so that this bill would be tremendous, not just for students in the Kentucky Welding Institute,” Hinton said.
But, one of the questions raised in the committee meeting was from Rep. Attica Scott (D-Louisville).
“I’m concerned about the impact of this initiative on the KEES program,” Scott said. “What would be the financial impact on KEES?”
There hasn’t been a financial impact report on what HB234 would do to KEES, but currently, students don’t utilize all the money available. There’s a stigma attached to work in the trades, Koch said, and he wants to focus on money that’s earned by students and that they should get to choose who uses it.
“There’s a stigma that goes with these types of schools,” Koch said, elaborating that he attended the Kentucky horseshoeing school. “These students have earned that money.”
In the bill, proprietary and trade schools must follow specific rules: they must be licensed by the Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education, have operated for at least five years, and have their headquarters or main campus physically located in the Commonwealth.
Working in Proprietary and Trade Fields
For Hawkins, entering into the field of welding changed his life. When he graduated, he took a job in Texas and worked as a traveling combo pipe welder. He bought the farm next to his parents and now teaches at KWI.
“I was reading this quote from Blake trying to prepare for testimony this morning: ‘I could not have asked for better training or walked out in six months with a pocket full of certifications and a padded resume,” Hinton said. “I turned 19 in a refinery in Texas, making $37 per hour and $129 per diem. In eight months, I had worked for three industry-leading companies and grossed $100,000.’”
The real question, Koch said, is how we can prepare and invest in the Commonwealth’s future success.
“As a product of one of these schools, I know firsthand the amount of good that this change will accomplish,” Koch said. “These programs offer many different avenues for our youth to discover viable career paths that may not be on their radar. We hope that this proactive step provides more support and better meets the financial needs of students working toward their goals.”
Photo: KHEAA logo