The House Education Committee has put its stamp of approval on a bill that extends a college scholarship program for students from Kentucky’s coal-producing counties.
Bill sponsor and House Speaker Greg Stumbo says the intent is to help young people from the eastern and western coal regions attend post-secondary schools closer to home.
The Prestonsburg Democrat says too many of them live too far away from a four-year public university. Stumbo says the program would enable students to use money from coal severance taxes to attend public or private schools in their area.
Stumbo adds that Governor Beshear’s budget plan calls for about two-million dollars to be set aside for the scholarships. He says that would help about 500 students attend college.
