Students might not be receiving the help they need from a state scholarship program, according to two assistant political science professors at Western.

Jeffrey Kash and Scott Lasley wrote a research paper describing how some students aren’t using Kentucky Education Excellence Scholarship money, while others aren’t receiving the money they need.

The graduated nature of the program is keeping KEES from completing its two main goals: to provide high school students with a good college education and entice Kentucky’s best high school students to stay here for college, Kash said.

Lasley got the idea for the paper after hearing students complain about not getting enough KEES money, Kash said.

Kentucky Lottery profits fund the KEES program and gives students money for good grades, he said.

For getting a 2.5 grade point average in high school, students can get $125, according to the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority Web site. For a 4.0 GPA, it’s $500.

Students can also receive bonus money for American College Testing awards, the Web site stated.

Students are required to maintain at least a 2.5 average their first year in college to keep their money, Kash said. After the first year, students must keep a 3.0.

The professors found that of students with a high school GPA of about 2.5, less than one-third used the award. Out of that fraction, one-third only kept it for a year, Kash said.

Kash and Lasley found that KEES money requirements make average students keep the same kinds of grades in college as they had in high school, when college should be harder than high school.

Students tend to drop out after not being able to keep their grades up, Kash said.

High school students with 4.0 GPAs also tend not to use the money that much, Kash said.

Students with better grades are usually courted with offers of scholarships by universities and colleges out of state, he said.

KEES money also doesn’t keep pace with rising tuition, Kash said.

“The thing that concerns me the most is it’s not that effective a program,” Lasley said.

Lasley said the program could be improved by having Kentucky officials define exactly what they want out of the program. Need-based programs could also be used to help low-income students.

Louisville sophomore Sara Smith pays for college with KEES money and FAFSA loans.

She made Bs in high school and a score of 24 on the ACT after taking it a few times.

Her parents are glad for every cent she gets for college. They stressed to Smith that she had to do well on the ACT to get KEES money, she said.

“Every little bit counts to tuition,” Smith said.