Board approves $5 million in scholarships from Bill Gatton Foundation
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 24, 2026) — A $5 million gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation to support student scholarships was approved Friday at the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees meeting.
The Bill Gatton Scholarship Program at UK has awarded nearly 3,500 scholarships to undergraduate and medical students to date, the majority through the UK LEADS (Leveraging Economic Affordability for Developing Success) program.
Launched in 2016 as a pilot program, the LEADS initiative uses a predictive model to guide UK’s approach to scholarships. Nationally recognized for supporting student financial need, providing targeted scholarships and aid-based data-informed analytics, the program has reached nearly 9,000 students from 119 counties across Kentucky — totaling nearly $81 million in funding.
“This investment is transformational for our students and their futures,” said Kirsten Turner, Ph.D., vice president for Student Success. “The Bill Gatton Foundation’s continued generosity expands access to opportunity, ensuring more students — regardless of financial circumstances — can pursue a UK education, persist to graduation and go on to lead meaningful, impactful lives. This gift not only honors Mr. Gatton’s legacy, it actively shapes the next generation of Kentucky leaders.”
The Bill Gatton Foundation was established in 1985 by C.M. “Bill” Gatton of Bristol, Tennessee, who was a 1954 graduate of UK. He was an honorary member of the UK Board of Trustees, a member of the UK Hall of Distinguished Alumni and a member of the Hall of Fame in the Gatton College of Business and Economics.
The $5 million grant is a continuation of Gatton’s legacy in the ability to improve lives through excellence in education, research and creative work, service and health care. Gatton died in 2022.
To date, Gatton and The Bill Gatton Foundation are UK’s largest private donors.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and healthcare. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $1.02 billion research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.