UofL President James R. Ramsey met with Lonnie Lawson, president and CEO of The Center, and U.S. Congressman Harold 鈥淗al鈥 Rogers, KY-05 at the center in Somerset, Ky., to officially announce the partnership and college scholarship opportunities for Rogers Scholars graduates.

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to support this initiative, which encourages and rewards great student leaders from Southern and Eastern Kentucky,鈥 Ramsey said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking forward to seeing more Rogers Scholars on UofL鈥檚 campus this fall and in the years to come.鈥

The scholarship opportunities will be available to rising high school juniors within the center鈥檚 45-county primary service area who graduate from the Rogers Scholars program and meet UofL鈥檚 scholarship requirements.

鈥淭he Rogers Scholars program is very close to my heart, as it actively fulfills one of the primary needs in our region鈥攑roviding young people with the best opportunities here at home, so they don鈥檛 have to leave Kentucky to follow their dreams,鈥 Rogers said. 鈥淲hen institutions, like the University of Louisville, recognize the hard work and impressive resumes of Rogers Scholars in the form of scholarship money, it鈥檚 a sign of success for our educators and our students. I want to thank President Ramsey for his commitment to support students in our region.鈥

The Center for Rural Development started the Rogers Scholars program in 1998 to address 鈥 and reverse 鈥 out-migration of young people from the region. It is designed to help the center move toward its vision that no young person should have to leave their home region to find their future, according to the center鈥檚 website.