December 25, 2025

A look at what parents and students should know about how to prepare for life after high school.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
<

(00:05):
I think that student’s need to
exhaust all options out there
before they look at taking out
a student loan.
>> What students and parents
should know about the daunting
task of paying for college.
>> If I wasn't in that class, I
think I'd be struggling very
hard.
>> One Jefferson County School
is helping seniors turn the

(00:26):
chaos of applying for college
into clarity.
>> Our kids are going to be the
ones that are hired. Our kids
are going to be the ones with
the higher success rates in
school, because we're preparing
them for that up.
>> And find out how one county
is helping prepare high school
students for success in their
next step.
>> Production of Kentucky

(00:47):
Edition is made possible in
part by the KET Millennium Fund.
>> Good evening and welcome to
a special episode of Kentucky
edition. I'm Laura Rogers,
filling in for Renee Shaw.

(01:09):
Thank you for joining us.
Tonight. We are focusing on
education. Life after high
school can be a very daunting
thought for many teenagers. How
will they pay for what's next?
What do they want to do and
should they be doing? What
should they be doing now to
prepare? This season, on our
Education Matters series, we
brought together experts to
help you make informed

(01:31):
decisions. That includes a high
school counselor and Russell
County who recently had the
tables turned. When it was time
for her first child to head off
to college. She says there are
things she learned in the
process. Robin Rixon is college
and career readiness counselor
at Russell County High School.
And Robin, aside from your
professional role, you're also

(01:51):
the parent of a college
freshman, so you know this
process very well. I want to
ask how you started planning
and saving for those college
expenses, because we know how
costly it can be.
>> Absolutely. It's scary for a
parent to think about the
financial responsibility of
having a student in college.

(02:12):
But there are some things that
I did early on. Whenever my
child expressed interest in
wanting to pursue college
someday. And that was I had him
look into merit scholarship
opportunities at colleges based
on his GPA and his Act score
the keys money that students
earn while they're in high
school. That has helped

(02:33):
tremendously. And then, of
course, filing the Fafsa with
that federal aid from the
government.
>> This is your background. So
you had a lot of experience and
you knew a lot going into the
process. However, is there
anything you wish you had known
last year that you know now?
>> So when I took my son on
college visits his senior year,

(02:53):
I realized that there were a
couple colleges that he had
really focused on and put a lot
of attention and effort into
researching that. Once we made
it on campus, that wasn't the
fit for him. And so if one
thing I could have changed was,
I think I would have gotten him
on the campuses earlier,
possibly his junior year, so we
could have eliminated the
colleges that were not a fit

(03:15):
for him.
>> I want to ask you more about
your role there at Russell
County High School and how you
do help prepare high school
seniors for that college
admissions process, or whatever
they may want to do after they
graduate.
>> So I feel like I'm a liaison
between the student and the
military rep, the partners in
our community with businesses,

(03:37):
our chamber of commerce, our
college reps. I do a lot of
planning to set up meetings
between students and those.
Those individuals also have
Fafsa workshops for parents and
students, so we can have them
file their Fafsa in a very
relaxed environment with plenty
of help. I host College
Application Day and we just had

(03:57):
that on Monday. It was a
success with over 275
applications filled out. We had
people from all over the state
here to help us. I have senior
newsletter, I have
correspondence with parents. I
do all the scholarships. I'm
the dual credit coordinator, so
I play a role in just making

(04:17):
sure that the student feels
more prepared and the parent
feels better prepared to move
that student on to the next
step, whatever step. That might
be.
>> Pivotal role that you play
there at Russell County High
School, any common mistakes
that you see people make?
>> Possibly some common
mistakes that I see students
make procrastination when it

(04:37):
comes to filing, filling out
scholarships, following the
Fafsa, even applying to college
when they wait until the last
minute, it just makes it harder
for them.
>> And then back to that
affordability factor. What is
something that you think every
senior needs to know, needs to
consider when it does come to
paying for college?

(04:59):
>> I feel like that every
senior needs to know that there
are funds available for college
expenses, through scholarships,
through military opportunities,
through grants, work study
options. There are
opportunities out there, and it
never hurts for a student to go
ask a financial aid office or a
scholarship office at the

(05:19):
college that they're interested
in, and explain their
circumstances and ask for any
available funding that might be
out there. But I think that
students need to exhaust all
options out there before they
look at taking out a student
loan.
>> Yes, can definitely save you
money in the long run.
>> Absolutely.
>> Robin Rixon, College and
career readiness counselor at

(05:39):
Russell County High School,
thank you so much for your
perspective and your expertise
today. We really appreciate it.
>> Thank you.
>> And a lot of the
conversations about paying for
college are directed at parents,
but involving your child is a
great way to start preparing
them for the real world. It's
really a master class on
finance and research, and for

(06:01):
students at the Brown School in
Jefferson County, they're
taking charge of their own
futures in a class called
Senior Seminar. Our Christie
Dutton paid them a visit.
>> If you have applied and have
a transcript.
>> Transcripts, scholarships,
SATs and GPAs for many high
school seniors, the road to
college can be a complicated

(06:22):
one. But at Jay Graham Brown
School, there's a class that
turns the chaos into clarity.
>> But then that last link, you
have to link 502 to your Fafsa.
>> A senior seminar class
taught by Nora Wakefield that
guides students through the
college application process and
helps them find scholarships.
>> Also, lock in your tuition

(06:43):
rate at a lower level.
>> To bring down the cost of
higher learning.
>> They will pick their school
and hopefully have it paid for.
>> The process starts in their
junior year, optimizing Act and
SAT scores and Exploring
colleges in junior seminar.
>> We'll do quite a few college
visits and we bring in college
reps, because I really think

(07:04):
that if you start looking
senior year, it's too late.
>> And once senior year begins,
Nora Wakefield's
concentrates on applying to
colleges.
>> She's always occasions.
Always. It's our main focus as
soon as we come and sit down.
>> Honestly, the process to
application, I thought it was a
lot easier than it was, but
like it's a lot more and but

(07:25):
it's like I think the class, if
I wasn't in that class, I think
I'd be struggling very hard.
>> And the demands of applying
for college can be stressful.
>> There's a lot more than just
applying. It's being personable
in your essay. It's ensuring
that you get the proper amount
of scholarships and just
ensuring that you keep your
life balanced while you're
going through the college
process.
>> The Senior Seminar class

(07:46):
serves as a guide to make this
process as smooth as possible.
>> Of all 502 you go to their
link and you fill out the
application. It's very quick.
Then we help them apply, but we
help them meet those deadlines
for things like Fafsa, early
applications versus early
decision.
>> If you are eligible and you

(08:06):
complete these three steps, you
will get the scholarship. It's
a guarantee.
>> It can be intimidating, and
asking for help is intimidating,
and we need to take every
obstacle away.
>> But there's one more big
obstacle left paying for
college. Senior seminar helps
students with that too. With
lots and lots of.
>> Scholarships.
>> Scholarship programs, grants.

(08:27):
>> A ton of scholarships.
>> We help kids with their
questbridge applications. We
help them with their Jack Kent
Cooke applications, coach
scholars, doctor Pepper.
Nowhere else are students going
to have somebody that's hand
feeding them. These lists of
scholarships to apply for.
>> Nora's always on it.
>> She always has a scholarship
for us to apply to.

(08:48):
>> Every little bit of
scholarship money. You get help.
>> And a little bit can add up
to a lot.
>> We have a whole row of
million dollar scholars.
>> Students apply for.
>> Five, five, five, five.
>> Different institutions, and
that total amount is $1 million.
But that's not $1 million to
one institution.
>> More than scholarships or
even college. Nora Wakefield

(09:08):
wants her students to author
their own destinies and live
lives that are authentically
and joyfully their own.
>> My success is my students
success, and I cannot express
to you how much I love them.
And having known some of them,
you know, for 13 years, almost

(09:28):
all their life, it is so
important to me that they are
number one happy with when they
leave. I want them to be happy
individuals and successful
individuals, however they
define that.
>> For KET. I'm Christie Dutton.
>> Another option to help pay
for further education is
Kentucky's work ready
scholarship. This fairly new

(09:49):
and unique scholarship is
designed to give students
interested in high demand
careers like health care or
manufacturing. A fast track to
employment. Here, again, is our
Christie Dutton to explain.
>> Joining us now is Joe
Carroll Ellis, the executive
director of Kentucky Higher
Education Assistance Authority.

(10:10):
And we're talking today about
the Work Ready Kentucky
scholarship. Tell us what that
is.
>> So the Work Ready Kentucky
Scholarship is a program that
allows Kentuckians to pursue
short term credentials, meaning
a certificate, a diploma, or an
Associate of Applied Science
degree to fill high demand job

(10:33):
areas in Kentucky's top five
sectors.
>> Okay, so who would do this?
Who who is the audience for
this type of program?
>> Sure. The audience is really
any Kentuckian, a traditional
student fresh out of high
school, or nontraditional adult
student who's who's looking to
either reskill or upskill to

(10:54):
fulfill some of these high
demand areas with a program
that they can complete in two
years or less.
>> Okay, so what kind of
programs are they? What might
they learn?
>> Okay, so the top five
sectors in Kentucky are
healthcare, professional,
scientific and technical
services, manufacturing and

(11:15):
logistics, construction and
education. So there are many
occupations that fall under
those headings. Many fall in
health care like nursing
Phlebotomists, medical coding,
medical assistant. There's
plumbing, HVAC, welding, many
IT fields like cybersecurity or

(11:39):
web design. So many
opportunities.
>> Yeah. So all of these are in
high demand. How did this
scholarship even come about.
>> So it was actually created
in 2019 by the state
legislature through Senate Bill
98. And Senator Mike Wilson was
the sponsor. And it was created
to address workforce shortages

(11:59):
in Kentucky to provide
affordable access to
Kentuckians to fill these needs,
but to also help Kentucky's
industry and economy by
providing the workforce needed
to fill these jobs.
>> Okay. And for somebody
interested, maybe a senior in
high school who's about to
graduate, who may be interested
in learning some of these

(12:20):
skills, these trades, how is
this program going to benefit
them?
>> Okay, so the great thing
about Work ready is it is is
available to students who apply
on a first come, first served
basis. But it has eligibility
requirements that often qualify

(12:41):
students who may not qualify
for other need based grants. So
many middle income students
will be able to get these funds
to help further their education.
>> Okay, and how do you apply
for this scholarship?
>> So visit our website which
is k e.com. And then you would

(13:03):
select the Work ready
scholarship under the
scholarship heading. And that
has all the information,
including a link to the list of
all of the eligible programs
and the institutions where
those programs are offered.
>> Okay. And this is for the
Kentuckians Kentucky students
and adults. So how many of
these scholarships are offered
each year? Is it competitive?

(13:23):
>> It's not competitive. It is
first come, first serve. There
are some financial requirements
you do need to complete the
Free Application for Federal
Student Aid, which is the Fafsa.
And you would do that at
Studentaid.gov and then you
would complete the work ready
Kentucky scholarship
application, which is available
on our website. Last year for

(13:46):
the 2425 school year, we
awarded over $12.7 million to
over 4600 students to attend
these programs.
>> Oh, wow. Okay, well, how
does this program, this
scholarship benefit Kentucky?
>> So it's great because it
serves two purposes while

(14:06):
helping Kentuckians obtain
post-secondary credentials that
make them ready to enter the
workforce. It also addresses
the workforce shortage needs in
certain industries and helps
Kentucky say here business ABC
come into Kentucky because we
can prepare the workers to
fulfill those needs that you

(14:27):
have.
>> Okay. And so for somebody
interested in this and you
mentioned that they may qualify
even in that middle income area,
what are some of the financial
aspects of this.
>> So work ready pays for the
average or pays the kctcs
tuition rate. So if you go to

(14:49):
Kctcs then it would cover the
tuition and fees there. If you
go to a more expensive
institution, it would cover the
amount up to the kctcs rate.
>> Okay. For somebody
interested, maybe a senior in
high school interested in one
of these trades, what is the
benefit of them going through
this work ready Kentucky
scholarship rather than a

(15:11):
different path? What benefits
will they gain.
>> So there's there's a few. So
first of all is the financial,
like I said, because these
funds are available and
available to a large pool of
applicants, and the financial
eligibility restrictions aren't
as tight as they are for some
of the need based programs. So
you have more people that are
eligible for them, but also it

(15:33):
provides a short term pathway.
So if for students who are
looking to to get some high
demand skills and get into the
workforce quickly, these
programs have to be two years
or less. And they are
specifically for those areas
that are in high demand in the

(15:53):
state so they can get in, get
out, get a job, start their
careers.
>> Oh wow. They can really hit
the ground running.
>> The ground running. Yes.
That's right.
>> Well, that may answer my
next question, but I'll ask it
anyway. What do you wish people
knew about the work? Ready
Kentucky scholarship.
>> Actually, what I just said
that this program is, is not
designed for those who are

(16:13):
pursuing a career that require
like a four year bachelor's
degree or higher credential.
This program is really designed
for those that want a shorter
term path to hit the ground
running and really get these
middle skill jobs that that
employers are needing today.
>> Are there any other

(16:34):
scholarships like this?
>> Work ready is unique in how
it's designed and in its
purpose. And, you know, it's
very popular, as you can tell
from the numbers that I shared.
>> Okay, all this is great
information. Joe Carroll, thank
you so much for being here and
sharing your expertise with us.
>> Thank you so much for having
me.
>> You can find more

(16:55):
information about eligible
programs and how to apply for
the scholarship on their
website at dot com. High
schools throughout the state
offer numerous opportunities
for their students to prepare
for the next step, whether it's
college or a career that
includes AP and dual credits,
work study options or career

(17:15):
and technical education
programs. Also known as CTE,
the Jessamine College and
Technology Center has 12 CTE
program areas with about 29
different pathways. Our team
recently visited Jctc to learn
more.
>> High school students don't

(17:36):
know what they don't know. They
know what their parents do for
a living. They probably know
what some aunts and uncles and
grandparents do for a living.
But the world is much larger
than that, more than likely. So
by offering these opportunities,
students can both early in
their high school career get
some exploration and determine
what they think they might want
to do. Then, as they move

(17:57):
through high school, they can
specialize in that, potentially
get some dual credit in that
area. They can earn some
industry certifications in that
area. We offer articulated
credit if they pass an end of
pathway assessment. Work based
learning is also a key
component of what we do. So
they can actually go get some
job experience in that area
that they might be interested

(18:17):
in all before they're paying
college tuition for it. We want
them to be prepared for
whatever is next. Sometimes,
though, the best thing that we
can do for a student is help
them figure out what they don't
want to do, because what we
don't want is students to head
on to that post-secondary level
with a plan in mind, but no
experience in that area, only
to realize they've paid a lot

(18:39):
of tuition for something that
isn't actually their passion.
>> When I went through high
school, we did not have these
types of programs. So I think
for me, teaching these students
that career and tech ed is
important because it gives them
the opportunity to explore
different career paths before
they have to really settle in
on something. It's also a safe
environment for them to learn

(19:00):
more about the career, to grow
in the career, and to really
see themselves after high
school, being able to enter the
workforce or to go
post-secondary and get further
education.
>> In college. It's a lot of
money to go through and do all
of your different pathways.
It's a lot of money. If you
want to switch it, it's going
to be a lot. So being able to
have like a choice in like what

(19:21):
we want to do in high school
and it's free. Like you get to
dabble in everything. Like I
also took Small animal tech.
I've also taken wildlife. I'm
taking equine science. Next
semester, I get to dabble in
all of the other different
things that would, in college
cost money for me to take. So
it's super cool, like getting
to like, make sure that I know
what I want to do here in high

(19:43):
school. Oh, I know, I know,
it's okay.
>> In the vet assisting program,
it really we try to stair step
into what they would be
learning next. So to assist in
a surgery they don't need to
know every vein or vessel that
is in an animal's body, but
they do need to know some basic
anatomy and physiology. And so
I think that preparing them and

(20:03):
giving them a good foundation
for those higher level skills
that they would receive if
they're going into a
traditional four year program
or they're going to go to
graduate school to get their
DVM, I think that that's
essential. Building that
self-confidence early and
giving those fundamental skills
to them so that they are
confident enough to take on the

(20:25):
more difficult tasks.
>> In the classroom. We're
required to complete so many
hours of lab or practice time,
and then they go through
competency on 25 skills. So
before we ever go to clinical,
they learn 25 skills and they
get checked off in the
classroom to make sure they're
competent to perform those. And
then when we go to clinical you
have the added component of you
actually have patient

(20:45):
interaction. So here in the lab,
while we do practice with each
other the mannequins, it's just
a one way they're doing the
skill. We can simulate what
would happen if this occurred.
But in the real world you're
getting that real time feedback.
So the students get a lot of
actual real time interaction.
How do you respond to people?
How are you kind to people? How

(21:06):
do you deal with things that
aren't going the way the book
says, but keep your composure,
you know, keep your
professionalism that you've
learned here in the classroom?
>> I really like like the more
that it's hands on, but also
all the opportunities we get.
So like these, like with M&A,
I'm going to be able to have my
CNA license, and then the
classes that we're about to add
are going to be really

(21:27):
beneficial for college because
they're going to count as
college classes. So that means
my college won't have to take
so long.
>> What the scenes are on the
outside.
>> Why that doesn't call.
>> For sure. Yeah. Just like we
do with our linens.
>> For people who really want
to go into healthcare, this is
a perfect stepping stone for
them, and they'll be able to
get their knowledge further
because some some people don't
have that. And like, they go to

(21:48):
college and they kind of have
to learn it all there. But we
already have some knowledge
that is set up for us and
handed to us, so it's just
easier.
>> I've had students be a part
of murder cases. I've had
students be a part of high
value civil cases in excess of
100,000 towards $1 million, and
they're handling the paperwork
for it. I know that students
coming out of this pathway are
more prepared than any college

(22:09):
graduate for law school,
because they don't offer
something like this in college.
They're going to have already
explored, as a high school
student, what's, you know, 20
year olds are just starting to
explore in law school.
>> I definitely feel like I
could walk into any starting
position as a veterinary
assistant in any of the clinics

(22:29):
and just with a little bit of
help, understand everything
that needs to be done. Because
the basic information that I
learned here.
>> It seems like every year we
have a group of students that
will come in once the first
semester of college is over,
they'll come back to visit and
talk about how maybe they were
the only person in their class
that knew what some of the

(22:50):
terminology meant because of
the things they had done here,
or they were the only student
in their class that had this
specific skill set that they
learned with us. And they were
that they were prepared because
they had been a part of our
pathway.
>> Our kids are going to be the
ones that are hired. Our kids
are going to be the ones with
the higher success rates in
school, because we're preparing
them for that.

(23:10):
>> When you let go of this dial,
you need to do it slower
because you're going really
fast.
>> Students are not limited to
one pathway during their high
school years. Some students
complete as many as four
pathways by the time they
graduate. During our most
recent Education Matters
program, our panel of education
experts discussed some other

(23:31):
options and how to choose which
1st May be best for each
student.
>> A lot of people talk about
dual credit, but there's also
Advanced Placement classes in
high school. What's the
difference between these two
and what should parents know
about that?
>> I don't mind to refer to
that one. So with Empower You,

(23:52):
we do put some focus on our
Advanced Placement program as
well. In Davis County Public
Schools, when we have
recruitment nights, we start as
early as eighth grade, usually
recruiting and kind of talking
to parents and students about
what the options are as they
explore their interests in high
school. And so we partner with
our AP program, where students
and parents can also find out

(24:12):
if AP is the right fit for them.
So one of the main differences
with AP versus dual credit is a
student would sit in a college
level class in AP, and then
they would take an exam at the
end. And then if they score a
three, 4 or 5 on the exam.
Across the nation, different
universities and colleges would
award them credit based on that
exam score. In a dual credit

(24:35):
classroom, a student would earn
a grade just as the same as
they might like in a high
school classroom, but that
grade would also go on a
college transcript not only on
their high school transcript.
>> So what are the pros and
cons there with AP? Obviously,
you've got to do well on the
test to get the credit, right?
>> Correct.
>> Yes. And what would you say

(24:55):
about dual credit?
>> Well, I think AP you made a
good point. If you're not a
great test taker, you've taken
a whole academic year to learn
the content down to one exam,
which dual credit you're going
to be in a semester instead of
year long for most cases. And
it's a regular academic class.
So you have participation
quizzes, exams and papers. So
you can kind of spread out the

(25:16):
stress for a student.
>> Sure. Yeah. One of the.
>> Conversations we continually
have with parents, especially
around dual credit, is that
Kentucky does offer a dual
credit scholarship. And so
students are able to get
multiple courses throughout
their high school career that
the state of Kentucky actually
pays for for them. And so when
we have that conversation with
parents, it's about it is

(25:37):
saving time and money. When
you're utilizing dual credit
and dual credit scholarships
that are available here in the
state of Kentucky. And we have
tried to break down this
concept of like college ready
versus career ready, because
obviously everybody's going to
college with the hopes of
getting a degree to do the
career that they want to do. So
we try to talk about career

(25:58):
pathways for everybody, whether
they're, you know, wanting to
go straight into the workforce
or if they are college bound,
because many of our pathways,
whether it's health, science,
engineering, they lead into
college degrees that you can do
as well.
>> You can learn more about
these topics and more by
watching our Education Matters
programs online on

(26:20):
[e-mail]. That does it
for Kentucky Edition, where we
inform, connect and inspire.
Thanks so much for joining us.
Have a good evening.