Cumberlands awards $19 million in scholarships

University of the Cumberlands (UC) is awarding $19 million in scholarships to its undergraduate student body this academic year. Additionally, though this year’s undergraduate student body is the largest in Cumberlands’ history, 99 percent of them are receiving financial aid.

“We work with our students to ensure they are all receiving the best financial aid package possible. It boils down to UC’s mission of making a private college education affordable,” said Larry Rector, Director of Financial Aid.

Cumberlands has kept its tuition rate constant for three consecutive years. During that time, the school has awarded an average of $18.8 million in scholarships to undergraduate students. When combined with federal and state grants, federal student employment wages and the employment wages funded by UC, the undergraduate student body received $31.5 million during the 2017-18 academic year.

The University offers a myriad of scholarships based on merit, academic standing, musical skill and athletic performance. Cumberlands also provides a number of scholarships that are funded by donors to students in a variety of majors.

During the 2017-2018 academic year, 160 UC students received UC’s Bert T. Combs scholarship to ensure all tuition and fees were paid.

In May, 293 graduates received their associate’s or bachelor’s degrees from UC. According to a recent statistic from LendEDU, a website dedicated to helping consumers understand their financial options, the average student loan debt for Kentucky is $28,078. Under this load, a recent graduate’s monthly payment would be approximately $290.

Meanwhile, for those from KY that were part of Cumberlands’ most recent graduating class, they had an average student loan debt of $20,502. When comparing the average monthly payment amounts between UC graduates and the average debt of Kentucky graduates,  UC graduates save almost $100 per month each payment.

Rector noted that the first step to making college affordable is filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). All college students must complete this application each year to receive financial aid. FAFSA forms may be submitted beginning October 1.