Kentucky community and technical college students can now estimate their expenses

Classes start in just three weeks for the thousands of students in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. A new tool is available to gauge the costs associated with this postsecondary education route.

The net price calculator, launched the first of this month, provides an estimate of college expenses after financial aid. KCTCS President Ryan Quarles said about 80% of students participating in community and technical college education receive aid.

“So the students can kind of guestimate and have a better understanding of what the actual cost of college is and let me just be clear here…the sticker price rarely is what students actually pay. Cause we have a lot of financial aid.”

Quarles said there is a three-dollar increase in tuition but it’s still roughly half the price of a traditional four-year college.

Quarles noted enrollment for the fall semester is up from last year. He added the 16 colleges are associated with 70 campuses statewide. Quarles said faculty and staff will be heading back to campuses in mid-August.

“We’re actually in the going back to college mode. Our faculty and staff will be returning to campus. We’ve been working hard across Kentucky to work on some internal institutional improvements as well,” said Quarles.

In addition to classroom teaching, Quarles said there are dual-credit offerings in high schools, classes offered in correctional facilities, and online instruction. Quarles said there are full-ride work-ready scholarships in areas like health care, business, and manufacturing.

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