June 7, 2010
For Immediate Release

By Joan C. McKinney, news and publications coordinator

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Campbellsville University is one of 20 private colleges and universities across Kentucky who will welcome prospective students and their families to campus during the seventh annual Kentucky Private College Week June 14-18.

Kentucky Private College Week is a coordinated effort by the members of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU). The event is designed to simplify the college visit process for students and families and expose prospective students to Kentucky's diverse nonprofit, private four-year colleges and universities.

A single point of registration atwww.kentuckyprivatecolleges.organd common visit times at all 20 campuses - 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. (local time) daily - make it easy for prospective students to plan these summer campus visits. Each visit consists of a campus tour and information session covering admissions, financial aid and other topics.

Kristin Sexton, coordinator of undergraduate admissions at Campbellsville University, said, “Many high school students have the impression that tuition rates at private colleges such as Campbellsville University are completely unaffordable. However, over 95 percent of Kentucky students receive some form of financial aid through scholarships, grants, work-study programs and other sources.

“Special programs such as the Kentucky Tuition Grant (KTG) for independent college and university students and the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarships (KEES) are available to most Kentucky students who decide to stay in state to go to college.

“I work with a number of students each year who receive a better financial aid package from Campbellsville University than they did from larger, public institutions with lower tuition rates.”

Sexton also said, “Campbellsville University is unique from many other private and public institutions in that we offer every accepted student an academic scholarship that ranges from $3,000 to $9,000. This scholarship is based upon a student's high school GPA and class rank as well as their ACT or SAT score and is renewable for four years as long as the student keeps a 2.8 GPA.”

In reference to Private College Week, Sexton said, “ Each student visiting Campbellsville University during Private College Week will be able to tour campus and meet with an admissions counselor on an individual basis. We also give each visiting student a free T-shirt and waive their $20 application fee.”

“Summer is a great time to hit the road and visit college campuses,” said Mason Dyer of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities. “This is a really fun, easy way to get a jump on the college admissions process and learn what a great educational value Kentucky's private colleges and universities offer.”

Families will learn about the various sources of financial aid available to private college students that help make a small college education affordable. Almost all students attending Kentucky's independent colleges and universities receive some financial aid.

Kentucky Private College Week can also help students save money. In addition to reducing travel costs by making it easy to combine multiple visits into single trips, each visitor receives an application fee waiver (up to a $40 value) for every campus they visit during Private College Week.

Information from the AIKCU website said, “Independent colleges and universities are often referred to as private. This means that they are not funded by the state of Kentucky. Each institution determines its own focus and mission.

“Kentucky's independents provide all the benefits of your large state institutions - a wide variety of degree programs, varied and extensive extracurricular activities, championship caliber athletics, great preparation for employment or graduate school - with advantages that you just won't find at public university campuses.

“Advantages like small class sizes; personal interaction with tenured professors, even in first-year courses; extensive opportunities for study abroad; safe campus communities; leadership and service opportunities; and well-developed internship and career development programs.

“Most importantly, the small size of these institutions fosters community and allows them to focus on the success of each individual student. You won't get lost in the crowd at one of Kentucky's private colleges, and you're always more than just a number.”

For more information or to register, visit the Kentucky Private College Week blog atwww.kentuckyprivatecolleges.org. There you can also view videos featuring current students, learn more about participating campuses, get directions, and see the latest news about Kentucky's private colleges. Or call the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities at (502) 695-5007.

Kentucky Private College Week is an initiative of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (www.aikcu.org). Campuses participating in Kentucky Private College Week 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, Pikeville College, St. Catharine College, Spalding University, Thomas More College, Transylvania University, Union College and University of the Cumberlands.

Campbellsville University is a private, comprehensive institution located in South Central Kentucky. Founded in 1906, Campbellsville University is affiliated with the Kentucky Baptist Convention and has an enrollment of 3,006 students who represent 97 Kentucky counties, 30 states and 37 foreign nations. Listed in U.S.News & World Report's 2010 “America's Best Colleges,” CU is ranked 23rd in “Best Baccalaureate Colleges” in the South, tied for fifth in “most international students” and fourth in “up-and-coming” schools in baccalaureate colleges in the South. CU has been ranked 17 consecutive years with U.S.News & World Report. The university has also been named to America's Best Christian Colleges® and to G.I. Jobs magazine as a Military Friendly School. Campbellsville University is located 82 miles southwest of Lexington, Ky., and 80 miles southeast of Louisville, Ky. Dr. Michael V. Carter is in his 11th year as president.