Council on Postsecondary Education receives awards for innovation and transfer outcomes

April 11, 2024

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) received the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH) Scaling for Change Award for its work developing the nation’s first statewide scholarship for displaced individuals.

Dr. Aaron Thompson, president of CPE, said Kentucky’s Humanitarian Assistance Scholarship program (KyHAS) has been life changing for the students around the world who have struggled through the obstacles of displacement to rebuild their lives.

“We are honored to receive this award, but recognize that the program would not be possible without members of the General Assembly who had the vision to fund the program, our campuses who have worked hard to make the program a success, the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority who collaborated with us to create and implement the program, and NASH for its ongoing support and expertise,” Thompson said.

The KyHAS is helping shape statewide support for forcibly displaced populations and is improving access to education and workforce development. More than 530 students representing 39 countries benefited from the scholarship program during the current biennium. Funding has been renewed for the upcoming biennium.

Kentucky also was recognized by NASH for its work around student transfer. Dr. Beth Collins, a senior fellow at CPE's Kentucky Student Success Collaborative, received the Testing for Change Award representing CPE’s pivotal role in shaping the NASH model of improvement science.

Collins was one of four awardees who served as inaugural system leads in the Transfer NASH Improvement Community (Transfer NIC) that spearheaded campus teams that completed tests of change aimed at enhancing transfer outcomes. Collins was also part of a team that provided mentorship to more than 15 new system teams and continues to contribute to the evolution of the NIC model. 

"These awards underscore CPE's ability to leverage systemness to improve inclusivity, accessibility, and excellence in higher education," said Dr. Jason E. Lane, president and chief systemness officer of NASH. "Through the Kentucky Humanitarian Assistance Scholarship program, CPE provides a beacon of hope and opportunity for displaced individuals seeking to rebuild their lives through education. I am also excited to recognize Beth Collins, who played an instrumental role in improving transfer student success in Kentucky and across the country through her leadership in NASH's Improvement Communities. We extend our heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to President Aaron Thompson and the entire team at CPE for their continued commitment to advancing prosperity for the nation."