Student Scholarships and Awards

Graduating high school seniors or applicants who have not previously attended college

Deadline for Fall 2025-Spring 2026 has passed.

All applicants will be automatically considered for all College of Education scholarships for which they meet the criteria. Each available scholarship has specific criteria, which may include but is not limited to consideration of merit, declared major, geographic location, and financial need. Applicants who wish to be considered for needs-based scholarships must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). All decisions are committee based due to the highly competitive nature of such awards. Any student who applies will receive email communication if they have or have not been selected as a scholarship recipient.

Criteria for consideration of College of Education scholarships:

• Must be accepted to the University of Kentucky
• Must have a declared major in the College of Education
• Must have a completed application submitted by the deadline provided below

How to apply:

• Students accepted to the university may apply for College of Education scholarships online using their link blue account information. How do I activate my link blue account?
• To apply, use your LinkBlue credentials to log into Scholarship Universe. Use the search box at the very top by your name and search “College of Education”. Find and fill out the College of Education General Scholarship- Incoming Freshmen application. Once you submit your application there is no way to change or update what has been submitted.

All applicants will be automatically considered for all College of Education scholarships for which they meet the criteria. Each available scholarship has specific criteria, which may include but is not limited to consideration of merit, declared major, geographic location, and financial need. Applicants who wish to be considered for needs-based scholarships must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). All decisions are committee based due to the highly competitive nature of such awards. Any student who applies will receive email communication if they have or have not been selected as a scholarship recipient.

Current College of Education scholarship award winners: please note that you must fill out a scholarship application each year to be eligible for consideration of new and renewed scholarship awards in the College of Education.

Criteria for consideration of College of Education scholarships:

• Must be accepted to the University of Kentucky
• Must have a declared major in the College of Education
• Must have a completed application submitted by the deadline provided below

How to apply:

• Current undergraduate students and incoming accepted transfer students may apply for College of Education scholarships online using their link blue account information. How do I activate my link blue account?
• To apply, use your linkblue credentials to log into Scholarship Universe. Use the search box at the very top by your name and search “College of Education”. Find and fill out the College of Education General Scholarship Fund- Current Undergraduate and Incoming Transfer application. Once you submit your application there is no way to change or update what has been submitted.

Deadline to apply: April 1, 2025

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All applicants will be automatically considered for all College of Education graduate scholarships for which they meet the criteria. Each available scholarship has specific criteria, which may include but is not limited to consideration of program, career plans, research, and financial need. All decisions are committee based due to the highly competitive nature of such awards. All applicants will receive information on scholarship decisions by email. Scholarship award decisions are made in the spring.

Criteria for consideration of College of Education graduate student scholarships:

• You must be accepted to the University of Kentucky
• You must have been admitted into a graduate program in the College of Education
• You must submit a completed application by the deadline

How to apply:

• Current and incoming graduate students may apply for College of Education scholarships online using their link blue account information. How do I activate my link blue account?
• To apply, use your linkblue credentials to log into Scholarship Universe. Use the search box at the very top by your name and search “College of Education”. Find and fill out the College of Education General Scholarship Fund- Graduate application. Applying to this will automatically apply you to any other College of Education scholarships for which you meet the eligibility requirements. Once you submit your application there is no way to change or update what has been submitted.

Deadline to apply: March 15, 2025

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The Arvle and Ellen Turner Thacker Research Fund was established to provide mini-grants in support of the research efforts of doctoral graduate students in the College of Education. Grants of up to $1,000 are available to College of Education doctoral candidates who have passed their qualifying examination and are working on their dissertation. Letter of study approval from dissertation committee chair is required at the time of award. The College of Education’s Student & Faculty Recognition Committee will review the applications and make the awards.

Apply online 
Please submit questions to Collin Shepley, Research Advisory Committee Chair, at collinshepley@uky.edu.

The application consists of the following:

1. 2-page proposal (single spaced, Ariel font, minimum 11 point) to include:

• Student Name and ID Number
• Qualifying Exam Date
• Introduction and Statement of the Problem
• Significance
• Specific Aims
• Methods
• Plans to disseminate the findings

Other Items (not included in page limit maximum):

• References (required)
• Appendix (optional)
• Tables (optional)
• Figures (optional)

2. Detailed Budget with justification for expenses

• budget items such as salary, gift cards, computers, tablets, and photocopying are not permissible
• examples of acceptable expenses include: mileage to classroom visits, travel fees to conferences, heart rate monitors, consumables for research (testing strips, alcohol swabs, etc.), flash drives, tripods, money to pay transcribers, etc.

3. Letter of support from dissertation adviser

4. Biosketch/vita/resume (choose one format)

It is expected that recipients of this scholarship will present their completed or work in progress at the annual Spring Research Conference sponsored by the University of Cincinnati, University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky.

The inclusion of monetary incentives for subjects in the budget for the Turner-Thacker dissertation awards will be allowed providing the use of the funds is approved by the IRB. If funds are approved for this purpose, you will need to present an approved IRB which includes the use of the incentives, to the College of Education Associate Dean for Research to release these funds.

Application Deadlines:

• November 15 by 5 p.m. for fall funding
• March 15 by 5 p.m. for spring funding

Awards Notes:

Winners are selected within two weeks after applications are due. Funds are available immediately after winners are announced.
Funds can often be applied retroactively to recent dissertation expenses.

Interested in assistantships and other funding?

For more information, please visit the specific department for your program of interest:

• Curriculum and Instruction
• Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education
• Educational Leadership Studies
• Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation
• Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology
• Kinesiology and Health Promotion
• STEM Education

See also, Student Fellowships.

Note: scholarship offerings are subject to change

University of Kentucky's Academic Scholarship Programs

The University of Kentucky’s Academic Scholarship Programs offers funds to outstanding students who demonstrate the potential for superior academic performance. Academic-based scholarships are administered by the Office of Academic Scholarships, and awards are made without regard to financial status, race, creed, religious preference, or sex.

Office of Student Financial Aid

The mission of the Office of Student Financial Aid & Scholarships is to provide financial aid to students who would be unable to attend the University without such assistance. Additionally, our mission is to also support the success of colleges and students in their commitment to academic excellence through outstanding service. We strive to provide a student-oriented approach in the administration of financial aid programs by being responsive to the needs of students, their families, and other constituents.

Nationally Competitive Awards

Nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships are awards that are funded by sources independent of the University of Kentucky including non-profit groups, government agencies, and companies. Criteria for scholarships vary but generally include academic performance, financial need, community affiliations, and unique elements important to the sponsoring organization.

Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority Teacher Scholarships/Loan Program (KHEAA)
The KHEAA Teacher Scholarship Program provides financial aid to highly qualified Kentucky students pursuing initial teacher certification. All applicants must be Kentucky residents enrolled full-time (unless enrolled for the final term of a teacher certification program and less than full-time enrollment is required to complete the program). Applicants must demonstrate financial need and meet their institution’s education program GPA requirements to qualify for a KHEAA Teacher Scholarship. For more information and to apply for a KHEAA Teacher Scholarship, please visit the KHEAA Teacher Scholarship Program website.

Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH)
The TEACH Grant provides up to $4,000 a year to students who are completing or plan to complete course work needed to begin a career in teaching. For more information on the TEACH Grant, see the Federal Student Aid grants page or contact Beth Mekus at beth.mekus@uky.edu to apply.

Kentucky Academy for Equity in Teaching – Central Kentucky Education Cooperative
The Kentucky Academy for Equity in Teaching and CKEC have partnered to award grants to eligible recipients to further their career in education. The recipient will be eligible for assistance that will reduce barriers to their chosen vocation. For more information contact David.Morris@ckec.org or apply here.

Alpha Delta Kappa (ADK)

The Alpha Delta Kappa Future Educator Scholarship is awarded to assist education majors in their final two years of coursework with tuition, room and board and course materials. This scholarship was developed for students who display potential to be excellent educators. The Future Educator Scholarship will be awarded annually to up to five recipients from Alpha Delta Kappa Collegiate Clubs. This award is possibly renewable for the following year (pending available funding) if the student maintains an A or B average and is in good standing with the education department.

You will need:

• Proof of acceptance into the undergraduate education program.
• Letter of recommendation from one professor in the education department (separate from the proof of acceptance documentation).
• Letter from you, the applicant, discussing why you are interested in becoming a teacher and a statement of your financial need.

Traineeship Program funds are available to help defray part of the tuition costs for courses that lead to teacher certification in interdisciplinary early childhood education. With the increasing shortage of fully certified teachers seeking teaching positions in early childhood education, a major focus of the Traineeship program is on teachers seeking alternative certification, emergency or probationary certification, and working toward full certification while enrolled in a Kentucky institution of higher education. 

For questions: 

• Call 859-448-8810
• E-mail kytraineeship@kytraineeship.org
• Or visit https://kytraineeship.org/

The Early Childhood Development Scholarship provides a seamless system to upgrade the professional development of those working in early care and education. The state legislature and the Governor created the Early Childhood Development Scholarship as part of the KIDS NOW early childhood initiative. The scholarship provides financial assistance, to the extent of available funds, in the form of non-repayable tuition scholarships for Kentucky students who are pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education. For questions contact Leigha Hale, 859-246-6738, leigha.hale@uky.edu or visit https://www.kheaa.com.

How to Apply:

The application consists of the following:

• Personal Statement (single spaced, Times New Roman font, minimum 10 point) to include:
  • Introduction
  • Statement of need
  • Significance of the requested funding in correlation with the applicant
• Documentation with justification for expenses (i.e. copies of registration fees and dates for Praxis Exam)
• Letter of support from academic advisor or other education instructor

For more information and to start the application, please contact Thomas Cantrell.

Submit all application materials via email directly to Thomas Cantrell.

Application Criteria:

• Current student with a primary major in the College of Education
• Be in good academic standing
• Must have started an application for your education abroad program (either through the UK Education Abroad office or through the College of Education Overseas Student Teaching program.

Application cycle for 2024-2025 is closed.

For questions, please contact Ellie Holliday (eholliday@uky.edu).

The Lovaine C. Lewis Scholarship is offered by the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion.

Criteria:

• Must be a kinesiology, sport leadership, or health promotion major.
• Must have a 3.0 at time of application and when the award is received.
• Must be a junior or senior.
• Must have demonstrated involvement in the profession.
• Must have demonstrated professional affiliations (e.g. ACE, ACSM, ATC, ISSA, KYSHAPE, KHP Club, NSCA, etc).
• Must have demonstrated leadership.
• Must be a full-time undergraduate student in KHP during the semester the scholarship is received.

Application:

• Unofficial or official transcript.
• Cover letter making application for the award.
• Resume or curriculum vitae.
• Two letters of recommendation– one must be from a KHP faculty member.

For questions, please contact Jenn McMullen (Jennifer.e.mcmullen@uky.edu).

Apply Now