FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 28, 2014) — Four sections of the website of the state agency that promotes college access are now available in Spanish.
The Spanish version of www.kheaa.com, the website of the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA), recently went live. The sections provide information to students, families, adult learners and military personnel.
“We are excited to be able to provide college planning information to Kentuckians who are more comfortable with Spanish while they improve their English skills,” said Summer Gortney, the KHEAA outreach counselor who championed the project within the agency. “This will help the state’s Spanish-speaking parents play a greater role in their children’s college decisions.”
Funding for the project came from a grant that the Lumina Foundation had awarded to Bluegrass Community and Technical College to create a statewide effort named the Kentucky Latino Education Alliance (K’LEA).
K’LEA is a partnership of representatives from education, the workforce, community-based organizations and policy positions working to increase Latino student college completion. The number of Latinos enrolled in public school increased 63 percent from 2006 to 2011. According to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, only 17 percent of Latinos in Kentucky have an associate’s degree or higher.
KHEAA matched the grant funds and had the site professionally translated. To access the Spanish version, go to www.kheaa.com and select “Español” at the top. KHEAA is the state agency that administers the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) and other state student aid programs.
To learn how to plan and prepare for higher education, go to www.gotocollege.ky.gov. For more information about Kentucky scholarships and grants, visit www.kheaa.com; write KHEAA, P.O. Box 798, Frankfort, KY 40602; or call (800) 928-8926, ext. 6-7372.
