Daniella Tebib
News Editor
The Board of Regents voted unanimously to dissolve Accelerate U!, a pilot program aimed at preparing West Kentucky Community and Technical College students to become full Murray State students.
The program, which began in fall 2018, served 36 students last academic year and currently has 50 enrolled.
Students take first-year courses at WKCTC and Murray State, but do so on the University’s campus while living in the residential colleges.
AU! students are provided additional support in areas such as writing, reading and math.
With a successful completion of the first year, students are then admitted as full Murray State students.
“These are not Murray State students technically, [they are] WKCTC students,” President Bob Jackson said at the Sept. 6 BOR meeting.
Since they are not Murray State students, the University is unable to collect financial aid such as KEES money, Pell Grants or student loans, which is creating a financial burden.
“At the end of the spring, auditors looked at the books and there was approximately $100,000 in unpaid housing and dining for that core of students,” Jackson said.
That’s because the Univ-ersity has to bill students directly for housing and dining and is not receiving the funds.
As of the Board meeting, Jackson said that number had grown to $148,000 and he anticipates an additional $100,000 in losses for this academic year.
He said Murray State had an agreement with WKCTC that any overages in regards to financial aid would be passed on to the University to offset some of the losses.
“The problem is with a lot of these students there is no money available from their KEES, Pell Grant, students, whatever the case may be student loans,” Jackson said.
While the program was productive academically, financially the University just could not sustain it.
“The idea behind Acc-elerate U! is a very good idea,” Provost Tim Todd said. “The issue is on the fiscal side for Murray State.”
While the Accelerate U! Program will be dissolved, Todd told board members there are already other programs in the works to meet the needs of these students.
“Our tremendous partnership with WKCTC is only going to be enhanced as we move forward,” Todd said. “Meetings are already set up with their academic affairs officer, all kinds of other activities behind the scenes of this program that are going to continue and enhance the partnership with WKCTC.”
The University will continue with the program through the end of the spring semester, officially dissolving it on June 30, 2020.
“There has to be a more cost-effective manner to do this,” Jackson said. “It’s important work, it’s important we continue to assist the at-risk students.”
