Going to College

Are you thinking about returning to college or enrolling for the first time? If so, you are not alone. Millions of adults who delayed college after high school to pursue work, the military, or a family are now enrolling in college — attending full-time or part-time, on campus or off campus, and increasingly through distance education.

Begin college as a freshman. If you finished high school but it has been a while, you may be unsure how to begin your college search. Many colleges have advisers or counselors whose job it is to help non-traditional (or adult) students. Contact an admissions officer at the school of your choice to discuss special services and programs that may exist for adults. The Campus Tours section of this site contains contact information for admission offices. Also, check out KHEAA's online publication, Adults Returning to School for useful information.

Adult Kentuckians who have never taken college classes, but want to, may be eligible to take advantage of a new Go Higher Grant administered by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA). Go Higher Grants are available to adults with financial need who are age 24 or older and enrolled for fewer than six credit hours at a participating Kentucky college or university. The grants are only available for the 2007-2008 school year. These grants are designed to give adults a taste of college and encourage them to continue their education. Click here to learn more.

Transfer from one college to another. Kentucky has developed several tools that make it easier to transfer coursework from one Kentucky college to another. A number of these focus on the transfer of community or technical college courses to a bachelor's degree program. The transfer section of this site contains more information.

Enroll in Distance Education courses. Check out the Kentucky Virtual University or Electronic Campus to explore courses you can take online.

Explore ways to pay for college. The financial aid section of this site contains information about grants, loans, and scholarships to help you pay for college. For more information, call the financial aid officer at the school you are considering or KHEAA at 1-800-928-8926. Also, check out KHEAA's online publication, Adults Returning to School.