By Charles Romans
Carter County Times
Kentucky Christian University will be holding a gala event on November 9 to support the university’s student scholarship programs. The event, A Knight to Remember, will be a semi-formal event at the university’s Lusby Center and will feature a plated meal, and music by members of the KCU Worship Collective, with special guest speaker Alan Robertson.
Many will remember Alan as the older brother on the popular A&E Network television series Duck Dynasty. What they might not know, however, is that he also served in both full time and volunteer ministry at the White Ferry Road Church in West Monroe, Louisiana, for over 35 years. He pastored the church for over 22 years before returning to the family business, Duck Commander, and at that point began appearing on the show. Robertson and wife Lisa have co-authored three books, and Robertson is now the host of Blaze TV’s Podcast ‘Unashamed’ with his father Phil and brother Jase Robertson.
“The idea is to engage support from the community and sponsors for the university,” KCU Director of Development Danny Stamper said of the event. “We want to get everyone on campus to see what we are doing and support what we are about.”
The event is geared toward the specific purpose of helping students, Stamper said.
“One of the things I have noticed since I have been here is the general assumption that we get a federal and state budget. Students can get federal aid,” Stamper said. “But the university does not. We are a private institution, so there is no line item in the state or federal budget that supports us. We operate off of student tuition and donor support.”
Stamper said that lack of government support makes the university mindful of what they are doing and that they work to be responsible with their finances and make them go as far as possible.
“We do not have unlimited income, but it has been that way since day one,” he said.
This is a testament to the university’s diligence considering it has been operating for 105 years, he noted.
“And we would like to manage thing so that we are here another 105 years or longer,” Stamper said. “We have gone through a number of changes over the last several years, and we are doing more to get the community involved and show the county and the surrounding area what we do.”
The closest other Christian universities would be Alice Lloyd or Asbury, or Ohio Christian University in Ohio, Stamper said. He added that KCU serves an important student market in the area and said that a lot of the university’s students are local; a number that continues to grow. He also noted how important it is to the university to support their students in any way possible, and help them on the path to educational success.
“A lot of our students get an aid package,” Stamper said.
That package can include federal grants and student loans, as well as the scholarships the university currently offers.
“The tuition ends up being about $3,500 per semester,” he continued.
One of the things the college has started to help offset the costs to the students, beyond their federal or state aid funding, is the Commonwealth Commitment Scholarship, Stamper said.
“We don’t want a shortfall on the students funding to prevent them from being able to attend school. So, we are using that fund to bridge that gap.”
The program was initially funded out of the university budget in order to make it work, Stamper said. The gala event is part of a means to secure funding for the students from another source.
“My goal is to raise $100,000.00,” Stamper said.
“There is a link on the school’s website that also allows individuals to donate to the program, with a drop-down tab for Commonwealth Commitment. We are a 501c3, so donations are tax deductible,” he added. “And all sponsorships and donations go to fund that program.”
Stamper said that anyone needing further information can contact him at 606-474-3282 or email him at dkstamper@kcu.edu. The event will accommodate 470 people, Stamper said.
“My biggest goal is to see every single seat filled,” Stamper said.
Not just for the fundraising, but so the community can understand what KCU offers students, and what they could offer back to the community.
“This school has a personal touch,” Stamper said of KCU. “The professors are accessible and easy to reach when needed. No one gets lost in the shuffle, and everyone here wants you to succeed.”
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
