Kentucky Residents : IU Southeast

Welcome Kentucky students!

A degree you can afford is closer than you think.

IU Southeast is more affordable than the University of Louisville, University of Kentucky, and Bellarmine University—and with the KEES program, it's even more affordable.

If you live in Jefferson, Oldham, Bullitt, Trimble, Meade, Shelby, Spencer, or Henry counties, you automatically qualify for in-state tuition. In addition, incoming first-year students receiving the KEES scholarship will have those dollars matched by IU Southeast scholarship money. This benefit can save you thousands of dollars.

We're not only Kentuckiana's most affordable four-year degree; we're also just over the bridge in New Albany, Indiana—only ten minutes from downtown Louisville. Tolls are often a concern but crossing the Sherman Minton and 2nd Street bridges is toll free. If you're coming from the East End, the money saved by going to IU Southeast far outweighs the cost of tolls.

Incoming first-year students can apply for 110+ scholarships, and 70% of our students receive scholarships. Also, 51% of IU Southeast students graduate debt free.

Kentucky-based Ericia Henry is a current IU Southeast student. She's thrived here and invites you to consider the reasons why IU Southeast is such a good choice. Watch her story below!

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Description of the video:

Hi, guys! My name is Ericia Henry and I am a Junior at IU Southeast.

There were several different factors that lead me to choose IU Southeast. First being that it was close to home, just right across the bridge. Second being that it had a small campus. So, I knew that I was going to be able to make those connections with others. And, lastly being that it was affordable, even without the KEES money.

What really sold me on IU Southeast, was when I got an opportunity to spend a night at the dorms for overnight orientation. After that night I realized that I really wanted to go to IU Southeast and also live in the dorms. IU Southeast has a lot of scholarship opportunities and they do all they can to help you with financial aid.

Although the KEES scholarship didn’t play a factor in my college decision, I know that many Kentucky students do consider this when applying to colleges. The KEES program provides scholarships to Kentucky high school students based on their GPA’s and test scores. This scholarship must be used at a Kentucky college or university. Once earned, some student may feel a strong desire to want to use that money, but IU Southeast, in many cases, will be more affordable even without KEES money. So, IU Southeast is definitely worth checking out.

So honestly, I didn’t really hear about IU Southeast until the end of my senior year of high school. A rep. came and told us all they had to offer. I am so thankful that I was able to hear about IUS because I wouldn’t be where I am today without the opportunities they provided.

One thing I didn’t realize is how close IU Southeast is to Louisville. They’re literally right over the bridge. I knew I wanted to stay close to home for college, and that’s why I chose IU Southeast.

Well, my advice would be to expand your search. Look for colleges outside of Louisville as well. Visit the campus. It’s really hard to imagine going somewhere without actually seeing the campus. I would also recommend checking out the resources they have available such as organizations, mentoring programs, math and writing help and the library. IU Southeast offered a summer program and math and writing bootcamp prior to my freshman year. This really helped me transition in to college. Also, get involved. I’ve been involved in many organizations, such as being an orientation leader, being a part of multicultural student union, student life committee, CRU which stands for Campus Crusade for Christ and many other organizations. IU Southeast has a ton of options, these allow you to meet new people, make friends, and grow as a leader and person. IU Southeast is helping me achieve a brighter future. Let them help you achieve yours.

Discover degrees for every goal

Health. Business. Education. Even the arts. With more than 150 academic programs to choose from, chances are you’ll find the right one for you.

Nearly 70% of our students receive financial aid

Craft your ideal college experience

With just over 3,680 students on an 180-acre campus, IU Southeast might just be the perfect size.

We’re small enough to ensure you really feel like you’re joining a close-knit community—one where it’s easy to get to know your professors and make friends with your classmates.

And we’re big enough to offer everything you expect from a college experience—ten athletics and club teams, dozens of student organizations, even on-campus housing.

7NAIA sports teams

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100+ Student organizations

Explore campus life

5Residence halls

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Stay close to home, but a world away

At IU Southeast, you get the best of both worlds.

You can immerse yourself in the campus experience while you’re here. But when you’re ready to add a real-world component to your education, downtown Louisville is just six miles away.

That means countless volunteer opportunities, internships, and other experiential learning options are available within a ten-minute car ride.

Students walking with Gus the Grenadier in front of the IUS Library.

Male and female students waving to each other as they pass on the sidewalk.

And graduate ready to succeed wherever life takes you

As an IU Southeast grad, you’ll join a network of 725,000+ IU alumni living and working all over the world. No matter where you hope to go, there’s sure to be a fellow alum who can help you out.

99%of 2022–23 grads employed or pursuing education one year later

97%of 2022–23 grads employed full time in a career related to their area of study

91%of 2022–23 grads felt IU Southeast had high-quality academic programs