Leaders of 19 independent state colleges and universities in Kentucky are asking for equal partnership with their public school colleagues — and a piece of the public funding pie.

        A report issued Monday by the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities in Frankfort identifies three objectives: adding more representatives to the Council of Postsecondary Education; creating partnerships with state schools; and expanding state financial aid programs to the private schools.

        “It's making the case for collaboration,” said the Rev. William Cleves, former Thomas More College president who was the AIKCU president from 1999-2001. “We want to be equal partners in higher education in the Commonwealth.”
       

History of cooperation
               Independent school officials say they've been collaborating with their state college counterparts for years. Father Cleves touts Thomas More's reciprocal tuition and faculty exchange agreements with Northern Kentucky University, and Michael Dawahare, acting vice president for institutional advancement at Georgetown College, said community college students who transfer to Georgetown are guaranteed at least one opportunity to study abroad.

        But private school leaders say they're no match for the state schools when it comes to financial aid. They want “portability,” which means students can use state grants and other aid at private schools — a system Mr. Dawahare said is similar to what is done in Tennessee and several other states.

        Mr. Dawahare is encouraged by the response from media across the state.

        “What we find very encouraging is not the report, but the public interest in it,” Mr. Dawahare said. “I think this is an opportunity for educators and policy makers in the state of Kentucky to engage in dialogue.”
       

More board seats
               Mr. Dawahare says a total of 169,500 undergraduate students attend all Kentucky schools. Of those, 25,200, or 14.9 percent, attend AIKCU member institutions.

        But AIKCU has only one representative on the state postsecondary board, while each state school has its own.

        “I think the private institutions need to be integrated into policy-making processes when it comes to education policy,” Mr. Dawahare said. “We need to be formally represented.”

        “I don't think Georgetown College is prepared to say we want direct state funding,” Mr. Dawahare said. “We would like to see students attend any institution in the state, public or private; that should be a decision a student makes.”

        Thomas More President E. Joseph Lee thinks the Legislature is ready to take a look at portability.

        “In my gut, I think it's going to go that direction because of the enormous impact independent higher education has in this state,” Mr. Lee said. “You can always use help.”

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