• Kentucky sponsors a number of grants for its residential students.college campus image by Nick Alexander from Fotolia.com
  
  The Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority was formed in 1966 to promote more opportunities for residents of Kentucky to pursue higher education. Since its formation, the authority has provided a number of grants and scholarships to help Kentucky students to follow their educational dreams into colleges and universities in the state. Earning one of these grants can make a huge difference in paying for college.
  
  

Kentucky Tuition Grant

• The Kentucky Tuition Grant is available for Kentucky residents who attend independent, accredited colleges or universities in the state.
  
  The grant can provide between $200 and $3,000 per academic year for students in need of help with tuition. Applicants must be full-time undergraduate students enrolled in an associate or baccalaureate degree program. Students must also have no financial obligations outstanding for tuition. Online credit hours do not count toward enrollment.
  
  To apply for the grant, students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Visit the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority's website for more information at www.kheaa.com.
  
  

Kentucky Education Excellence Scholarship

• The Kentucky Education Excellence Scholarship is funded by proceeds from the Kentucky Lottery, and provides financial assistance for students who excel in high school, home school or GED programs.
  
  Applicants must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 in order to qualify for the Kentucky Education Excellence Scholarship. GED graduates and home-schooled students receive grants based on their ACT exam scores. The scholarships can be applied to a college, university or technical school program.
  
  The scholarships can be applied to out-of-state schools, so long as the school is a public university in a state that participates in the Academic Common Market.
  
  Students do not apply directly for the Kentucky Education Excellence Scholarship; once they are enrolled in school, the school contacts the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority and the money is sent directly to the school.
  
  

Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship

• The Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship is designed to provide funding to academically gifted students who show a promise of continued academic achievement in postsecondary education.
  
  The Byrd scholarship is federally funded, and can contribute up to $1,500 per year (up to four years) for recipients. Applicants must be legal residents of Kentucky who have applied for or been accepted to a postsecondary educational facility in the United States, and must be recommended and certified for the scholarship by a school official or GED coordinator. Male applicants between the ages of 18 and 25 must be registered with the Selective Service System, and all applicants must be graduates of a high school, home school or GED program in Kentucky.
  
  To qualify, high school and home school students must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher, and an ACT score of 23 or higher or an SAT score of 1060 or higher. GED applicants must have a minimum score of 2700 on the GED composite exam.