Campus News

“Our mission at University of the Cumberlands is built around putting our students first. Every decision we make is made with that in mind. During this time of prolonged national emergency, supporting our students is crucial. We care for our students, we want them here, and we want them to be able to focus on their education and extracurricular opportunities.“ -President Cockrum

Six Million

When University of the Cumberlands received nearly $6 million in emergency coronavirus relief funding, it immediately directed every dollar of the funding to its undergraduate student body.

Full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students received direct payments of $1,500, with Pell-eligible students receiving an additional $475. Part-time degree-seeking undergraduate students received $500, with Pell-eligible students receiving an additional $275. The aid was funded through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA).

Because federal guidelines prohibit public funding from being distributed to international undergraduate students, the university used private, institutional dollars to provide direct payments to that population. This move ensured that every degree-seeking undergraduate student received financial support.

Cumberlands president Larry L. Cockrum said the university could have withheld a majority of the funding to cover its own expenses, but instead opted to transfer every dollar to students, many of whom have struggled with educational and living expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The federal government allocated a total $5,852,797 to Cumberlands to provide financial aid grants to students, student support activities, and to cover a variety of institutional costs. The university began processing payments to students immediately.

Directing 100 percent of emergency funding to students is a continuation of The Cumberlands Commitment, an initiative launched in 2018 to make college more affordable for students. Tuition was lowered by 57 percent in 2018, and, in 2019, Cumberlands made textbooks free for in-seat undergraduate students.

President Cockrum noted that most college students were not included in stimulus payments issued in relation to the pandemic, yet he feels many students, and their families, have struggled financially and could use the help. He hopes allocating these newest payments directly to students provided relief and allowed students to focus more on their education.

In May 2020, Cumberlands used federal emergency funding through the CARES Act to provide in-seat undergraduate students with one-time payments of $500 to $1,000.

Miltary Friendly

Cumberlands was recently designated as a Military Friendly® School, ranking seventh in the nation in that category among private schools offering doctoral degrees.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey that is administered for free and open to all postsecondary schools who wish to participate. More than 1,200 schools participated in the 2021-2022 survey, with 747 earning this designation.

Dr. Larry Cockrum, president of the university, said, “We do our best to promote integrity, respect, compassion, and service in everything we do here at Cumberlands. We are pleased to support members of the armed forces beyond their military service by providing a strong academic foundation and the resources they need to succeed.”

The university has been working strategically over the past two years to target data collection efforts and expand service offerings for military and veterans. Within that time, Cumberlands has added the military veteran discount to select programs, added a Military and Veteran Career Pathways resource, re-launched its Army ROTC program, expanded information on their military webpage, and increased staffing dedicated to serving their military/veteran students.

Work Ready

University of the Cumberlands is now offering select degree programs to Kentuckians for free through the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship (WRKS) campaign. The scholarship, which began in 2017, covers the remaining cost of tuition and fees after federal, state, and campus grants and scholarships are applied. Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship awards are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Students can apply for admission for free online anytime at www.ucumberlands.edu/apply.

Christopher Chandler is a self-taught software developer working in IT who is pursuing his AAS in information technology at Cumberlands. “The cost of attending school was a major consideration,” he said. “This scholarship has allowed me to take a full course load that I couldn't have afforded otherwise.”

Servant Leadership

APPALACHIAN MINISTRIES

Shoes 4 the Soul is one of the best-known events hosted by Appalachian Ministries (AM). Due to COVID precautions, an in-person event couldn’t take place, so AM purchased, packaged, and delivered the new pairs of shoes right to the doors of the local schools involved. Schools included Whitley North, Pleasant View, Pine Knot, Oak Grove, Boston, and Whitley East Elementary Schools. A total of 497 pairs of shoes was donated in addition to new sweatshirts and hygiene items.

CUMBERLANDS FOOD DRIVE

The administration at Cumberlands was unsure how the food drive this year would go, since it was such a financially and emotionally difficult year for many. The campus’ generosity exceeded their expectations. Instead of receiving fewer donations, the university broke their food drive record, bringing in 30,557 pounds of food in five weeks! The food was donated to four local pantries, to be distributed to community members in need throughout the year.