Louisville Nonprofit Starts Scholarship Fund

A new scholarship program in Louisville, Ky., will cover tuition and fees at some public state colleges for local public school graduates.

Evolve502, a local nonprofit working to get more children in the Louisville area to attend college, is funding the scholarship.

The Evolve502 Scholarship is open to graduates of Jefferson County Public Schools starting with the Class of 2021, according to the nonprofit's website. Students can use the scholarship to attend any Kentucky Community & Technical College or Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically Black college. It can be used to pursue an associate degree, workforce credential or as a pathway to earn a four-year degree.

It is a last-dollar scholarship that will cover tuition and fees after a student has used all available state, federal and institutional financial aid. Students from households with incomes of $40,000 or less are eligible to receive an Opportunity Grant of $1,000 per semester to help with other costs.

The scholarship will last until at least 2034, though the nonprofit hopes to raise more funds to extend the program.

To be eligible for the scholarship, students must have been enrolled in the public school district since at least the ninth grade, have graduated and be eligible for the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship, which requires students maintain a 2.5 GPA throughout high school. Students who have earned a GED within 12 months of their original high school graduation date are also eligible. Those who enroll in the military shortly after graduation can defer their eligibility.