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FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) — The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is now accepting applications from civil engineering students, which also includes summer work and a job upon graduation.

For more than 70 years, the Cabinet has helped young people to pursue a rewarding engineering career by offering two scholarship programs to help pay for tuition while providing employment.

KYTC will award up to 30 new scholarships for the 2020-2021 school year to prospective and current college students pursuing civil engineering and engineering technology degrees. Interested students must apply by the Feb. 1, 2020 deadline for scholarship consideration.

“Our scholarship program has a track record of producing future transportation leaders, like our newly appointed Deputy Secretary Mike Hancock,” said Transportation Secretary Jim Gray. “Investing in a strong educational foundation and providing hands-on work experience for Kentucky students ultimately benefits citizens who rely on a talented workforce to keep transportation moving forward.”

The Civil Engineering Scholarship is for students focusing on a four-year degree in engineering who attend the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University, or Kentucky State University. It is awarded to 10-20 new students and can be worth up to $51,000, ranging from $6,200 to $6,600 per semester.

The Civil Engineering Technology Scholarship was established in 2009 and partners with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. Each scholarship student will receive $3,000 per semester to complete an Associate’s Degree in Civil Engineering Technology from the KCTCS campuses in Lexington or Prestonsburg. The Cabinet will award up to 10 scholarships to students to attend either campus.

Both programs provide employment during the summer and job placement at KYTC after graduation. Scholarship recipients agree to work for KYTC for a year for every year they received the scholarship. Former scholarship recipients have held top management positions at KYTC including multiple state highway engineers, chief district engineers, and branch managers.

Ramona Brock, executive staff advisor and manager of the scholarship program, said, “The scholarships are just the beginning of a fulfilling career for many of the students that participate in the scholarship program. Recipients have done well in their careers with KYTC. Some of them have attained the highest positions within the Cabinet, such as Cabinet Secretary and Deputy Secretary.

Again, the application deadline for both scholarship programs is February 1, and recipients will be notified in April. For more information on the scholarships, go to https://transportation.ky.gov/Education/.