And other news, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System and Eastern Kentucky University say their new transfer partnership will make it easier and more affordable for students to continue their education.

Our Emily Sisk has more from HQ and Our Education Matters report.

We educate more Kentuckians than any other school in the state per capita.

And our graduates go back to work in our Kentucky communities at a higher rate than any other four year institution.

Now, even more Kentuckians may study at EKU after the university announced a transfer partnership with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, which makes it easier and more affordable for students to continue their education.

Dr.

Tyra Frick from KCTCS explained some of the benefits of the transfer agreement.

No application fee for students priority registration transfer, scholarship opportunities, free textbooks and dedicated advising EKU also offers a joint admissions opportunity.

While students are still taking community college courses, they can begin taking classes at the university and they can take up to 12 credit hours at EKU while they're still with us at the KCTCS tuition rate to give the students one course a semester at ACU to help kind of acclimate to the GQ culture.

Those could be online.

They could be face to face, but it just helps make that that transition to the university.

More students transfer from KCTCS to EKU than any other university.

Eastern Kentucky's president, Dr.

David McFadden, said that because of qualities like affordability, early advising and a multitude of online programs, for many, they're going to be online learners who may be transferring from an online program and KCTCS.

That was the case for Khalilah Mitchell, who started working on her associate's degree at KCTCS during the pandemic.

My idea wasn't to go straight to a for a four year college because I was pregnant my senior year in high school, So I kind of had to figure out something close to home and something realistic.

Mitchell was ready to continue her education on a college campus.

She applied early to the social work program at EKU and to her surprise, was quickly accepted.

Before I even had got accepted for housing here in Richmond, I was already accepted for my program.

Mitchell is now working on her master's in social work at Eastern Kentucky University.

She said the support she received as a young mother at both KCTCS and EKU encouraged her to keep going.

I started at KCTCS with a newborn baby and it took me three years to get an associate's degree.

So like, sometimes it takes time and that's okay.

Leaders from both institutions said it's their goal to make education more accessible, affordable and show collaboration across the state.

It really is about these partnerships.

It's about collaboration.

It's about working together in the best interest of students.

He accused President said he is excited to welcome more community and technical college students from Paducah to Pikeville.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Emily Sisk.