The Kentucky Community and Technical College System and the University of the Cumberlands have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that offers a clear pathway for KCTCS graduates to complete an affordable bachelor’s degree at UC.

The agreement serves as a steppingstone for KCTCS and UC in their mission to offer quality education to Kentucky students from all backgrounds. Both institutions have made strides to ensure affordability, accessibility and relevancy for their programs in recent years.

Dr. Trey Jarboe, provost at Cumberlands, said transfer students from KCTCS account for 35 percent of all transfer credits among students currently enrolled at the university. The university has more than 6,000 students enrolled between its on-campus and online undergraduate programs.

“We are pleased to partner with KCTCS in our shared mission of providing quality education to Kentucky students,” said Jarboe. “This MOA is an example of our commitment to put students first in every aspect of their college experience. We want to offer as smooth a transition as possible for all KCTCS students who choose to pursue their bachelor’s degrees at UC.”

Reneau Waggoner, KCTCS acting provost and vice president of academic and student success, added, “This new MOA marks the beginning of a strategic partnership that will benefit innumerable Kentucky students for years to come. Through the education and skills provided by both institutions, our students have another accessible pathway to bachelor’s degrees that prepare them for employment and career success.”

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is the state’s largest postsecondary institution with more than 100,000 students, 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses. They also are Kentucky’s largest provider of workforce training, dual credit classes and online education.

UC offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in addition to several certificate programs. In 2023, the university was ranked the most transfer-friendly private college in Kentucky, welcoming almost as many transfer students as sixteen other private Kentucky colleges combined.