KHEAA

What KHEAA does

KHEAA (the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority) is a public governmental body established by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1966 to increase access to higher education and postsecondary training for Kentucky residents. Headquartered in Frankfort with 101-250 employees, KHEAA administers the state's portfolio of student aid programs (KEES, College Access Program Grant, Kentucky Tuition Grant, Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship, Dual Credit Scholarship, Early Childhood Development Scholarship, Teacher Scholarship, Optometry Scholarship, Osteopathic Medicine Scholarship, Veterinary Contract Spaces, Veterinary Medicine Student Loan Repayment, John R. Justice Repayment, and others) and provides free statewide outreach to all 120 Kentucky counties through 13 regional counselors, a College Info Road Show mobile classroom, and the Kentucky College Coaches AmeriCorps program serving 32 high schools with traditionally low college-going rates.

KHEAA's technology surface centers on kheaa.com and the MyKHEAA online portal (account management for scholarship applications, KEES tracking, and financial aid information), the KHEAA College Cost Calculator (net-cost estimation integrating federal Pell Grant payment schedules with state aid eligibility), and the custom-built College Info Road Show mobile classroom equipped with iPad workstations, SMART presentation screen, and ADA-compliant facilities. The agency maintains integrations with the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid site, the Kentucky Lottery (funding source), Google Analytics, KY Stats Career Explorer, Kentucky Labor Market Information, the Occupational Outlook Handbook, the National Center for Education Statistics' College Navigator, March 2 Success, and SREB's Academic Common Market. Distribution channels are exclusively domestic: direct regional counselor outreach, mobile bus visits, school-channel partnerships, and self-serve online resources.

KHEAA's revenue model is non-commercial: it is funded through Kentucky state appropriations and Kentucky Lottery proceeds, with all programs and services provided free of charge to Kentucky students and families; no fees are charged for KEES, CAP Grant, Kentucky Tuition Grant, or any other state aid program, and publications are provided free to Kentucky schools and residents. The agency is administratively combined with the Kentucky Higher Education Student Loan Corporation (KHESLC, established 1978), an independent public agency offering the Advantage Education Loan. Customer segments include Kentucky high school students (primary), Kentucky college students (primary), adult learners, and Kentucky school counselors. KHEAA also supports the state-sponsored KY Saves 529 college savings plan. The New College Info Road Show mobile classroom was launched in October 2025 and website infrastructure maintenance was performed in July 2025, indicating ongoing digital and field-channel investment.

Name

KHEAA

Legal name

The Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority

Website

https://kheaa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

KHEAA (Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority) is a Kentucky state agency established in 1966 that administers state financial aid programs and provides free college planning and outreach services to Kentucky students and families across all 120 counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Student Financial Aid Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College & Career Counseling (Admissions, Scholarships, Pathways) (EDAJALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Government Student Financial Aid Agencies (EDADAHAA), Academic Tutoring Services (Subject-Specific & General) (EDAJALAA), Test Prep & Exam Readiness (K–12) (EDAJALAC), Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent) (FSAKAEAM)

Keywords

• State student aid
• Higher education access
• Scholarship administration
• Financial aid outreach
• College planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfort

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. State Agency Funding: KHEAA is a state agency established in 1966 funded through state appropriations and Kentucky Lottery proceeds. All programs and services are provided free to Kentucky students and families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

KHEAA is Kentucky's state agency administering state-funded student financial aid programs, including the KEES merit-based scholarship, CAP Grant, Kentucky Tuition Grant, Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship, and specialized scholarships and loan repayment programs for teachers, optometrists, veterinarians, osteopathic physicians, and attorneys. The agency provides free college planning tools (MyKHEAA portal, College Cost Calculator), free publications, and statewide outreach through 13 regional counselors and a mobile College Info Road Show serving all 120 Kentucky counties.

Product overview

KHEAA (Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority) is a state agency established in 1966 that operates as a unified financial aid and college access platform offering multiple interconnected products and services. The core products include MyKHEAA (the online account portal for managing scholarships and aid), the KHEAA College Cost Calculator (financial planning tool), and numerous state scholarship and grant programs including KEES (Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship), Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship, College Access Program Grant, Dual Credit Scholarships, Kentucky Tuition Grant, Early Childhood Development Scholarship, Teacher Scholarship, Teacher Recruitment Loan Program, Optometry Scholarship, Osteopathic Medicine Scholarship, Veterinary Contract Spaces, and Veterinary Medicine Student Loan Repayment. KHEAA also provides publications including Getting In, Adults Returning to School, Affording Higher Education, Money 101, and Future Forward. Service programs include Kentucky College Coaches (AmeriCorps mentorship), the College Info Road Show (mobile classroom), and Outreach Services with counselors across 13 regions. The organization also supports Advantage Education Loans (through sister agency KHESLC) and KY Saves 529, forming a comprehensive ecosystem for Kentucky students from middle school through professional careers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KEES (Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship)

Quantifiable outcome

• All 120 Kentucky counties served through 13 regional outreach counselors
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Kentucky Higher Education Student Loan Corporation (KHESLC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKHEAA and KHESLC are combined administratively. KHESLC is an independent public agency established in 1978 to ensure Kentucky students have access to funds through low-cost student loans. KHESLC offers the Advantage Education Loan with competitive rates and zero fees.
• Kentucky Campus CompactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKHEAA participates in the Kentucky College Coaches (KCC) Program, a statewide AmeriCorps program funded in part through a grant to Kentucky Campus Compact. The program places AmeriCorps mentors in 32 public high schools.
• Serve KentuckycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Kentucky College Coaches program is funded through Serve Kentucky, the state AmeriCorps program, supporting service members placed in high schools to provide college access mentoring.
• Kentucky Department of EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKHEAA collaborates with Kentucky Department of Education on Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways and approved dual credit courses. The Work Ready Dual Credit Scholarship supports CTE coursework approved by KDE.
• Kentucky Council on Postsecondary EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Council on Postsecondary Education oversees Kentucky's state universities and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. They administer the Academic Common Market (ACM) program for out-of-state KEES use.
• Southern Regional Education Board (SREB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSREB administers the Academic Common Market partnership between states for tuition reciprocity. Kentucky residents can use KEES out-of-state through ACM for programs not available in Kentucky.
• Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKCTCS institutions are key partners for KEES, CAP Grant, Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship, and Dual Credit Scholarship programs. KCTCS tuition rates often serve as benchmarks for scholarship calculations.
• Participating Kentucky Colleges and UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 50 Kentucky colleges and universities participate in KEES and other state aid programs, accepting KHEAA-administered scholarships and grants as payment toward tuition and fees.
• U.S. Department of EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKHEAA works with federal student aid programs including Pell Grants and FAFSA processing. The federal government provides guidelines and funding for student financial aid administration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC): Illinois's state student assistance commission administering MAP Grants and college access programs. Comparable to KHEAA in operating as a single-state agency delivering merit- and need-based aid plus counselor resources.
• California Student Aid Commission (CSAC): California's state agency administering Cal Grants, Middle Class Scholarship, and other aid programs. Comparable to KHEAA in administering state-funded aid at scale plus CalFresh-style integration with public benefits navigation.
• Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC): Vermont's nonprofit state-created student assistance organization administering grants, scholarships, loans, and outreach. Comparable to KHEAA in providing a full continuum of aid administration plus free college planning and counseling.
• New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA): New Jersey's state student assistance authority administering need- and merit-based grants, scholarships, and 529 plans. Closest functional analog to KHEAA as a state-level higher education assistance authority serving a single state.
• Indiana Student Financial Aid (SFA): Indiana's state financial aid agency administering the Frank O'Bannon Grant and 21st Century Scholars program. Comparable to KHEAA's CAP Grant and broader need-based aid administration plus outreach.
• Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA): Pennsylvania's state agency administering financial aid programs and student loans (including FedLoan servicing historically). Comparable to KHEAA in administering state aid plus affiliated student lending through a sister entity like KHESLC.
• Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA): Massachusetts's state authority for education financing, administering 529 plans (U.Fund), student loans, and college planning resources. Comparable to KHEAA's combined mandate of aid administration, 529 (KY Saves), and college access outreach.
• Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC): Georgia's state agency administering the HOPE Scholarship, Zell Miller Scholarship, and other state aid. Comparable to KHEAA's KEES merit-based scholarship and broader state aid administration mandate.

Others

• National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA): National membership association representing financial aid administrators at U.S. institutions. Tangentially comparable to KHEAA in the broader student financial aid ecosystem, though it is an industry association rather than a direct administrator of state aid.
• Education Trust: Nonprofit focused on closing opportunity gaps in education, particularly for low-income and minority students. Comparable to KHEAA's mission around first-generation and underserved college access, though it operates through advocacy and research rather than direct aid administration.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@KHEAA1/podcasts
• Facebookfacebook.com/KHEAA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kheaa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KHEAA