The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is a vital resource for Kentuckians across the commonwealth. It has played a central role in opening families up to countless opportunities since its formal establishment in 1997 through the Kentucky Postsecondary Education Improvement Act. KCTCS has consistently been one of the nation’s highest-performing community and technical colleges and ranks first in the country for credentials awarded and fourth in credential completion rate.
KCTCS stands out due to three key features of the college: its affordability, accessibility, and its commitment to academic excellence.
KCTCS offers the state’s most affordable education, with the lowest tuition costs in the Commonwealth. It is roughly half the cost to attend KCTCS compared to the state’s public four-year colleges and universities. During the 2023-2024 school year the school’s average tuition cost was $4,656, compared to an average cost of $11,687 at the state’s 4-year public institutions.
In 2024, 72% of graduates left the school without any student debt. KCTCS’s robust financial aid programs are supported by the state’s Dual Credit and Work Ready Scholarships, which provide financial support to thousands of students annually. Dual Credit scholarships allow Kentucky’s high school students to explore higher education during their junior and senior years. In the fall of 2024, more than 29,000 students were enrolled in dual credit courses with KCTCS. Work Ready Scholarships allow students to earn up to 60 credit hours across more than 2,600 programs. It is available to Kentucky residents with a high school diploma or GED who have not earned an associate’s degree or higher. In 2021, over 3,500 students at KCTCS had the Work Ready Scholarship.
During the 2024-2025 school year, more than 104,000 students attended KCTCS. This school year, KCTCS awarded 44,402 credentials to 24,263 graduates, the highest single-year total for credentials awarded and graduates since the 1997-1998 school year.
KCTCS schools focus on educating students in high-demand workforce sectors, ensuring that they can gain meaningful employment upon graduation. Each of the 16 KCTCS colleges collaborates with regional partners to bridge the employment gap and meet the community’s workforce needs, providing access to quality education for tens of thousands of Kentuckians.
This year, Madisonville Community College received the Bellwether Award for its significant impact on the workforce. The award, presented by the Bellwether College Consortium, is one of the most significant national awards for community and technical colleges. Madisonville was honored with this award due to its commitment to meeting its community’s workforce needs. The college created the Lisman Workforce Complex, where they focus instruction on high-demand workforce opportunities. For this award, they focused their resources on utility line workers and commercial driver’s license certifications (CDL) to bridge the workforce gap in these sectors. According to the school, students from the Lisman Workforce Complex have a 93% job placement rate.
In 2023, six KCTCS schools were recognized by the Aspen Institute as among the top 150 community colleges in the nation due to their student success. Throughout the 2023-2024 school year, these schools competed for the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence alongside 144 community colleges nationwide. The colleges selected were:
Ashland Community and Technical College
Gateway Community and Technical College
Hazard Community and Technical College
Madisonville Community College
South Central Community and Technical College
West Kentucky Community and Technical College
The programs offered by KCTCS can transform lives and strengthen communities. The colleges offer strong financial aid, innovative programs tailored to regional needs, and strong partnerships with local industries. KCTCS not only equips students with the skills needed for high-demand careers but also strengthens economic growth and opportunity for families across the commonwealth. KCTCS is a means to improve individual lives and meet the evolving needs of our workforce without the fear of lifelong student debt. KCTCS is the commonwealth’s most affordable and accessible education, and its academic success speaks through the tens of thousands of graduates who live, work, and strengthen our communities every day.
As always, I can be reached on my mobile at (502)639-7079 or through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via email at James.Tipton@kylegislature.gov and keep track through the Kentucky legislature’s website at legislature.ky.gov.
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