Kentucky’s Council on Postsecondary Education presented its Performance Funding Model to lawmakers earlier this month. Though officials did not address it, the meeting closely followed the introduction of House Bill 197, which calls for the abolition of the CPE.
CPE President Aaron Thompson opened the presentation with a reminder of how vital the council is not only to Kentucky’s educational institutions but to the strength of the state’s economy.
“There is no economy, no good economy, without a highly educated workforce. There is no highly educated workforce without a proper work and higher education system. And that’s our goal, to make that happen,” said Thompson.
The Performance Funding Model, run by CPE, was created in 2016 to increase the number of degrees and credentials earned by Kentucky students. Between 2017 and 2023, college attainment grew by almost six percentage points. In 2024, Kentucky surpassed the national completion rate of 61%.
In 2023, over 56% of people in Kentucky earned a college degree or certificate, meaning the CPE is on track to meet its goal of 60% of people in the state having received a credential from a postsecondary institution in 2030.
Travis Powell, Senior Vice President of CPE, said the work group will focus on helping first-generation college students overcome the challenges unique to them.
“The group ended up defining underrepresented students as first-generation college students, which was actually the definition that was adopted for this past year’s model as directed by the General Assembly,” said Powell.
One of the Performance Funding Model’s statutory goals is to close achievement gaps by increasing degrees and credentials earned by low-income and first-generation college students.
Powell said 3% of the Funding Model’s available resources will be allocated to first-generation college students who are working to earn a degree. First-generation students attending a KCTCS institution will be designated 4% of their resources.