July 13, 2011
For Immediate Release
Campbellsville University, other independent colleges invite students to try them on during Kentucky Private College Week
FRANKFORT, Ky. – For the eighth straight year, Kentucky’s 20 private, nonprofit colleges and universities are banding together to help prospective students and their families explore private college options in Kentucky during Kentucky Private College Week, July 18-22.
Dave Walters, vice president for admissions and student services at Campbellsville University, said students visiting the campus for Kentucky Private College Week will have a visit that is “very special and personable. We try to tailor the visit to each students’ specific interests and needs.”
Paula Caldwell, freshman coordinator for Campbellsville University’s Office of Admissions, said, “Every prospective student who visits Campbellsville’s campus is a top priority for us! These visits are very significant to our school because the students are actively seeking private colleges in Kentucky. This puts us at an advantage because we are better able to cater to their specific needs as college students. We are excited to demonstrate to these families what a special place Campbellsville really is.”
“The college search can be a stressful process, so we’re trying to make it as easy as possible for students and their families to check out our campuses,” said Mason Dyer of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU), which organizes the event. “We believe in helping students find a school where they fit and can be successful. When people experience our campuses for themselves the question of fit becomes easier to answer.”
The two-hour Kentucky Private College Week sessions provide an introduction to the campus and to the admissions and financial aid process. Once students begin to narrow down their college lists they are encouraged to schedule a more in-depth visit in the fall to those schools still on their list.
The financial aid information presented during Kentucky Private College Week can be particularly helpful for families wondering how they are going to pay for college.
“There’s a misconception that rich kids go to private colleges,” said AIKCU’s Dyer. “In reality, our schools serve all kinds of students and go to extraordinary lengths to make a small college education affordable. When you factor in available federal, state, and institutional financial aid and the quality of the education we provide, Kentucky’s independent colleges offer a tremendous value.”
About 45 percent of students at Kentucky’s independent colleges and universities receive Pell Grants (the federal grant program for low income students). Qualifying Kentucky resident students attending independent colleges are eligible to participate in state financial aid programs; AIKCU students receive about $56 million in state financial aid each year. The 20 colleges themselves provide more than $190 million in grants and scholarships to their students annually.
Kentucky Private College Week is an initiative of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (www.aikcu.org). Participating campuses include: Alice Lloyd College, Asbury University, Bellarmine University, Berea College, Brescia University, Campbellsville University, Centre College, Georgetown College, Kentucky Christian University, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Lindsey Wilson College, Mid-Continent University, Midway College, St. Catharine College, Spalding University, Thomas More College, Transylvania University, Union College, University of the Cumberlands, and the University of Pikeville.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with over 3,000 students offering 63 undergraduate programs, 17 master’s degrees and five postgraduate areas. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.