Transportation Cabinet Awards Scholarships to 34 Aspiring Civil Engineers, Construction Managers and Engineering Techs

Program to assure steady flow of talent offers tuition assistance, summer work, and full-time employment upon graduation

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 28, 2023) – Thirty-four promising students from across Kentucky have been awarded Kentucky Transportation Cabinet college scholarships to help further their pursuit of careers in civil engineering, construction management and engineering technology.

“We are helping to educate the next generation of transportation leaders in Kentucky,” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “Each of these scholarships is an investment. The return on these investments for Kentucky taxpayers will be engineering and construction careers dedicated to the building, maintenance and continuous improvement of a modern and efficient transportation system.”

Now in its 75th year, the Transportation Scholarship program includes money for tuition, a paid summer job or co-op and the guarantee of full-time employment with the cabinet upon graduation. Recipients agree to serve a year with the cabinet for every year of scholarship assistance. If a graduate chooses to go elsewhere before fulfilling the employment obligation, the scholarship must be repaid year for year.

Former scholarship recipients have held top management positions at the Transportation Cabinet, including secretaries and deputy secretaries of the cabinet, chiefs of staff, state highway engineers, chief district engineers and branch managers.

“This scholarship is a proven pipeline to recruiting and retaining top talent in our state,” Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said.

Funding awards are for the 2023-2024 school year to students who are attending or planning to attend the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Eastern Kentucky University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Western Kentucky University and Big Sandy Community and Technical College. 

The Civil Engineering Scholarship is for students focusing on a four-year engineering degree who attend the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University or Kentucky State University. It is awarded to 20-30 new students and can be worth up to $59,200 (ranging from $7,200 to $7,600 per semester).

The Construction Management Scholarship, new this year, affords graduates an opportunity to work on various transportation infrastructure projects around Kentucky. It is offered for students at Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State, Murray State, Northern Kentucky University and Western Kentucky. It, too, can be worth more than $59,000 ($7,200 to $7,600 per semester).

The Civil Engineering Technology Scholarship was established in 2009 and partners with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). Each scholarship student will receive $3,700 per semester to complete an associate’s degree in Civil Engineering Technology from either of the KCTCS campuses in Lexington or Prestonsburg. The Cabinet will award up to 12 scholarships to students to attend either campus.

The next cycle of applications will begin in November 2023 and the deadline to apply is Feb. 1, 2024.

For more information about these scholarships and other educational opportunities, please visit https://transportation.ky.gov/Education/ or call (502) 564-3730.