Instituted by the state’s General Assembly in 1998, the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship emphasizes incentives. In short, the better a student’s grades and test scores, the more financial support they will get toward their post-secondary education. The KEES program provides scholarships to students who earn at least a 2.5 GPA each year they attend a certified Kentucky high school. They may also earn awards for ACT/SAT scores and Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test scores. Home school and GED graduates may earn awards based on their ACT scores. There is an array of in-state colleges and universities where KEES benefits can be used as the program also encourages students to remain in Kentucky after graduation.