The University of Kentucky announced today that its self-supporting athletics department will put another $500,000 a year into scholarships, this time for students in Appalachian Kentucky, on top of the $1.2 million it annually gives for non-athletic scholarships. The primary beneficiaries of the new money will be the Robinson Scholars, students from 29 Appalachian coalfield counties whose families have never sent anyone to college. "Some of our most loyal fans are those who reside in Eastern Kentucky," Senior Associate Athletic Director Rob Mullens said at a news conference this afternoon.
The program, which now funds one student from each county, will be expanded to roughly three per county. Any leftover funds will be used for need-based scholarships to help students in Appalachian Kentucky, which includes almost twice as many counties as the coal counties. The money was allocated for scholarships several months ago, but was not designated for Appalachian students. It will come from a 15-year deal among CBS Sports, ESPN and the Southeastern Conference, of which UK is a member.
UK President Lee Todd and the majority leaders of both houses of the state legislature said the scholarships are an investment in the future of the region. Sen. Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, said he and Rep. Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, are known for appropriating money for infrastructure projects in Appalachia, "but pro0bably our most valuable infrastructure" is the "intellectual infrastructure" of its young people. "That is what will really make the difference in our region of the state, and the state as a whole," he said. Todd said at least half the Robinson scholars return to the coalfield after graduation.
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