PRESTONSBURG - Dr. George D. Edwards, president of Big Sandy Community and Technical College, met Thursday with superintendents from Floyd, Pike, Johnson, Martin and Magoffin counties, on the BSCTC Prestonsburg campus, to announce an agreement between the educational leaders to offer tuition-free scholarships to qualifying area high school seniors.

The “Collegiate Beginnings” tuititon-free scholarships will be available to high school seniors possessing a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average, beginning with the 2006 fall semester.

“I want to welcome the leadership of from the Floyd, Johnson, Magoffin, Martin and Pike county boards of education, as well as the Paintsville and Pikeville Independent boards of education to our campus,” Edwards said. “It gives me great pleasure to announce this Collegiate Beginnings agreement between the boards and Big Sandy Community and Technical College.”

Under the new program, high school seniors are afforded the opportunity to participate in one of two tuition-free programs - “Quick Start” and “Two for One.”

The Quick Start program allows students to enroll in one tuition-free course on the BSCTC campuses, as class openings permit. The student's only costs are for books and supplies.

The Two for One program offers any senior enrolling in the fall semester during BSCTC registration dates and paying tuition for one course the eligibility to take a second course of equal credit in the spring semester of the same academic year tuition-free. The student's only cost for the second class is, again, for books and supplies.

“We think this is a good way to give good achievers a jump start on their higher education,” Edwards said at Thursday's press conference.

Registration for the Quick Start program will be held on August 10, in the Admissions and Records Offices of the Prestonsburg, Pikeville and Mayo campuses, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Registration for the Two for One program will be ongoing throughout the coming summer, through August 8.

Students should contact their high school guidance counselors, or visit the BSCTC campuses, for more information or to register for the programs. Information is also available by calling any BSCTC campus, or online at www.bigsandy.kctcs.edu.

Students may also contact Melinda Justice, associate dean of academic affairs, at (606) 218-2060, ext. 81247.

Area superintendents signing the Collegiate Beginnings Tuition Free Scholarship agreement include Dr. Paul W. Fanning, Floyd County Board of Education; Don Cecil, Magoffin County Board of Education; Frank Welch, Pike County Board of Education; Steve Trimble, Johnson County Board of Education; Mark Blackburn, Martin County Board of Education; Coy Samons, Paintsville Independent Board of Education; and Jerry Green, Pikeville Independent Board of Education.