WKU News

Beginning Fall 2023, WKU in Glasgow will offer an early college program, allowing college-ready high school students to earn 30 hours of WKU credit by taking classes at WKU in Glasgow alongside current WKU students. 

WKU President Timothy C. Caboni made the announcement during an event at WKU in Glasgow to celebrate 20 years at its campus home on Hilltopper Way. 

“[This campus] plays a critical role in helping our institution fulfill its mission of serving the fourteen counties in our eastern service region. And for many place-bound individuals, it has provided access to a WKU degree that would not have existed otherwise,” stated Caboni. “As we celebrate the tremendous accomplishments during the last 20 years in Glasgow, we are even more excited about what’s next.” 

Early College at WKU in Glasgow is for local high school students who plan to attend college and want to get a jumpstart on their WKU degree pursuit during their junior and senior year.

Selected students will take Colonnade (WKU general education) and profession-specific college courses at WKU in Glasgow throughout the morning. They will return to their high school each afternoon for high school classes. Courses are based on their chosen professional career track in either agriculture, business management, crime & legal studies, education, or nursing. They will also take two field trips each semester: one to visit with professionals onsite in their area of study and another to visit WKU’s main campus in Bowling Green to engage with professors and students.

“For students ready for the challenge of studying in a collegiate environment, the Early College at WKU in Glasgow offers them the chance to do so, while still engaging in the activities and communities offered by their home high schools,” Caboni stated.

Seven school districts, including Allen County-Scottsville, Barren County, Caverna, Glasgow, Hart, Metcalfe County, and Monroe County have committed to work with WKU to bring this program to their students.

Students must apply through their high school guidance office during the winter of their 10th grade year and must be a current student at a participating high school with a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher at the time of application. 100 students from the region will be accepted each year.

The early college program will maximize Kentucky’s Dual Credit and Work Ready Scholarships.

Everyone interested in Early College at WKU is encouraged to attend their school’s Parent Night event. The following schedule provides the school, date, time, location, and contact:

• Monroe County: November 14 at 5:30 p.m. – MCHS Library; Contact: Donna Dyer
• Metcalfe County: November 17 at 6 p.m. – MCHS Library; Contact: Geneva Scroggy 
• Barren County: November 21 at 5:30 p.m. – WKU in Glasgow Room 131; Contact: Angie White
• Glasgow: November 21 at 5:30 p.m. – WKU in Glasgow Room 131; Contact: Lorie Bunch
• Hart County: November 28 at 5:30 p.m. – HCHS Auditorium; Contact: Christie Wilcoxson
• Caverna: November 29 at 5 p.m. – CHS Library; Contact: Lestaye Perry
• Allen County: December 12 at 5:30 p.m. – ACSHS Auditorium; Contact: Laura Carter

Caboni added that WKU remains focused on an aggressive strategy to increase enrollment by targeting local students who would not otherwise attend college, including students who believe the cost of college is beyond their reach.

Degree-seeking students have access to the Hilltopper Guarantee, WKU’s scholarship program that guarantees 100% tuition coverage for any first-time first-year freshman from Kentucky who receives Pell Grant assistance and has at least a 3.0 cumulative unweighted high school GPA. According to Caboni, 53% of all high school graduates from the seven closest schools to WKU in Glasgow qualify for Pell Grant assistance.

For more information about Early College at WKU in Glasgow, visit https://www.wku.edu/regionalcampuses/glasgow/earlycollege.php

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WKU in Glasgow was officially established in 1988, offering classes at a leased spaced on Liberty Street. In 2002, WKU in Glasgow moved to its permanent home at 500 Hilltopper Way, providing additional access for students throughout the region to earn a WKU degree. The new campus also expanded WKU’s partnership with South Central Kentucky Community & Technical College (SKYCTC) by providing a home for SKYCTC-Glasgow’s technical programs. 

WKU in Glasgow continues to bring the academic resources of Western Kentucky University to this region through degree programs aligning with the workforce needs of local employers. Students can complete a 4-year degree at WKU in Glasgow, at the main campus in Bowling Green, online, or through a combination. WKU in Glasgow serves all WKU students with academic advising, tutoring, proctored exams, computer labs, and other valuable resources.