Keeping the Promise

On a typical bright sunny day at UPIKE in Benefactors Plaza, students are hurrying to class, studying outside and walking to lunch with friends, and prospective students are exploring campus and dreaming of the possibilities that lie ahead.

“I remember when I came on campus for a tour,” said UPIKE student Jami Young, reflecting on her decision to attend UPIKE. “Every person spoke to one another as they passed by, and I knew I wouldn’t find that at another institution.”

With the same excitement, energy and hope as they did more than 100 years ago, students atop the 99 steps at UPIKE seek opportunity. For students like Jami Young, receiving scholarships made higher education possible.

“Without the Pikeville Promise scholarship, I honestly don’t know if I would be in school,” reflected Young. “I couldn’t imagine not being a UPIKE Bear. It is something I hold close to my heart and has become a part of me. I could never imagine it not being a part of my story. It has helped me achieve my dream of obtaining a college education.”

The full tuition, four-year scholarship, the Pikeville Promise, was recently expanded and made available to even more bright and energetic future Bears. In January of 2020, UPIKE President Burton J. Webb, Ph.D., announced that the Pikeville Promise would extend to all qualified residents of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

When former UPIKE President and current Chancellor Paul E. Patton first put the Pikeville Promise into action in 2009, he was driven by the belief that financial difficulties shouldn’t keep bright students from completing their degree.

“I am very proud of the progress the university has made over these past 11 years and the Pikeville Promise has been a big part of that,” said Patton.

Across generations, Patton and Webb share the belief that many students from Eastern Kentucky are eager to attend college but face economic difficulties unique to the region.

Since its inception, the Pikeville Promise has awarded more than $9 million in aid to nearly 2,000 students. Hundreds of recipients have graduated and hundreds more will in the years to come. The students who have benefited from the promise leave UPIKE as problem solvers, leaders and valued members of the community.

Recipients must apply for the FAFSA each year, be eligible to receive federal Pell grants, College Access Program Grant (CAP), and Kentucky Tuition Grant (KTG), and complete a minimum of 24 credit hours each year. In essence, UPIKE will accept the financial aid offered by existing federal and state programs as payment in full for tuition. Recipients of the Pikeville Promise can choose to live on campus or at home, which allows students to reduce their out-of-pocket costs even further.

In April 2020, UPIKE announced additional bold measures to help meet the needs of its students. In the fall of 2020, the university will implement an eight-week block schedule and free textbooks for undergraduate students.

With the expansion of the Pikeville Promise, a flexible new learning schedule and free textbooks, UPIKE has cemented its reputation as an innovative institution, driven by impactful students and fueled by the needs of the world around them. The heart of UPIKE can be witnessed every day in the servant leadership of its students and graduates.For Young, attending UPIKE has given her much more than the obvious educational advantage.

“I often reflect on my freshman year,” said Young. “I think of the moment when I attended GROWL. I never dreamed then I would be where I am now.”

Involved in many areas across campus and inspired by the faculty and staff that have become family, Young reflects on the growth opportunities she didn’t expect when beginning her journey at UPIKE.

“That’s one of the things UPIKE does,” began Young. “This institution pushes you past points where you think you are comfortable. It may be uncomfortable, but growth has never taken place in comfort.”