For several years, there has been an increased emphasis inside of Rotary to try and reach the young people that wanted to attend college, but could not – or did not know how to – qualify for a Rotary loan.  This is what led to the implementation of our current scholarship program. The feeling was that the scholarships helped, but still did not reach every student.  Thus, the creation of the Rotary Scholars Program. By forming a Steering Committee (comprised of individuals from every facet of our community) and studying similar programs that exist in other American cities, the Hopkinsville Rotary Club was able to create a program that can reach every local student. Now, all of our young people will have the opportunity to pursue their post-secondary dreams.

Studies show that the higher the level of educational attainment a student reaches, the more money they will make over their lifetime. Studies also show that a higher percentage of students enter the workforce in the same community in which they are schooled. Accordingly, the Rotary Scholars Program not only assists students as they begin their college educations, but does so without the worry of the major financial constraints. In addition, because these students will be attending classes at HCC, there is a greater chance that Hopkinsville and Christian County’s workforce will be larger, more qualified, and better compensated.

As the Community Vision Plan brought to light, many of the challenges we are experiencing locally are centered around education. The areas of concern are as far-reaching as the number of issues. Matters are compounded for schools with the state’s looming budget cuts, and for students with their need for increased federal loans. However, the Rotary Scholars Program seeks to address all of these issues. The program reaches out to students at a younger age (8^th grade), and the requirements serve as an incentive for a longer period (9^th grade – Associates Degree). There is a proverbial “carrot” hanging in front of every student. This motivation is enough to increase the college going rate. Plus, because any eligible student can attend HCC tuition free, many of the loan balances that can take years to pay are now relieved.

Tuition guarantees are gaining momentum across the nation, with more than 20 cities either establishing such programs or planting the idea in hopes that private donors or taxpayers will contribute the money needed to help offset the staggering increases in college costs. The HopkinsvilleRotary Scholars Program is similar to the School Counts Program in Madisonville, KY (modeled after a program in New Jersey), where students are currently benefiting from the financial assistance. All programs work in partnership with local schools to raise expectation levels for students who are capable of attending college but do not have the financial means or capability to acquire funding.

Almost sixty years ago the Hopkinsville Rotary Club established a student loan program, the purpose of which was to increase the number of local students seeking a post-secondary education.  To date, over $8,000,000 has been loaned to over 9,000 students to help defray the college costs.  It seems that the Rotary Scholars Program is a natural extension of early attempts to educate our local students.  Now, however, there is incentive at a much earlier age.

The Rotary Scholars Program is a covenant to encourage local students to take advantage of Hopkinsville Community College’s educational opportunities in order to improve our community’s work force and the educational attainment level. As such, the Rotary Scholars Program should be an opportunity to enhance the current Student Loan Program. Low-interest loans have been at the heart of the Hopkinsville Rotary Club for over a half a century.  Loans will always be needed for those students wishing to pursue their academic goals away from HCC. Furthermore, even those students who qualify for and take advantage of the Rotary Scholars Program may need a loan to pay for books and other school supplies. In either case, the Student Loan Program will still be available to assist.

Due to financial constraints, the Rotary Scholars Program only offers financial assistance for those eligible students choosing to attend Hopkinsville Community College. Although, it is the hope of the Hopkinsville Rotary Club that a similar initiative will one day be available for those students pursuing their post-secondary educations elsewhere. Feasibility studies are currently underway.

Students who meet the aforementioned criteria will be eligible to receive a scholarship up to the full amount required to pay for college tuition. The full-tuition scholarship will be good for four consecutive semesters. Federal PELL scholarships and Kentucky KEES scholarships will be applied prior to theRotary Scholars Program award, which is applied as “last dollar paid.”

The award is a scholarship, and as such, there is no expectation of re-payment.

While it is possible to know what the Rotary Scholars Program would have costs based on past precedent, it is impossible to place an exact dollar amount on the program’s future cost for three reasons: First, there is no guarantee that Federal PELL grants or state KEES money will be available for future students. Secondly, it is not possible to know what tuition costs will be in future years. And lastly, no one knows just how many students – who wouldn’t have previously met the program’s requirements – will now be motivated to earn the scholarship, or how many students – who initially planned on going elsewhere for their post-secondary education – will attend Hopkinsville Community College instead. Thus, the Hopkinsville Rotary Club can only estimate what the Rotary Scholars Program will cost, and based on extensive calculations, year-one expenses should be approximately $90,000. Subsequent years are estimated at $180,000.

A definitive fundraising plan is still being drafted, but several solicitation efforts will be utilized over the next four years. A capital campaign will be implemented to raise the crux of the necessary funds, and the remaining costs will be covered by private donations, corporate gifts, and a percentage of the Rotary Auction’s proceeds.