More western Kentucky teachers now eligible to apply for scholarship for graduate study at MSU’s Madisonville campus

MURRAY, Ky. – Murray State University is pleased to announce that the Rogers Badgett Sr. Foundation Scholarship for Graduate Education will be expanding its eligibility to give access to scholarship support to more teachers in western Kentucky. Previously, this scholarship had been available only to applicants from Hopkins County. With this new expansion, teachers from Hopkins, Webster, Caldwell, Christian, Crittenden, McLean and Muhlenberg counties are all eligible to apply for this scholarship as of this current fall 2023 application period.  

The Rogers Badgett Sr. Foundation Scholarship for Graduate Education provides financial assistance to individuals who are currently employed by these counties’ school districts and also working to further their education at the University’s Madisonville campus. The scholarship is unique in providing invaluable assistance to working educational professionals taking on the extra challenge of simultaneously pursuing graduate study. 

The expansion of this scholarship will allow a much broader pool of educators in the western Kentucky area to apply for and benefit from the Rogers Badgett Sr. Foundation’s generous support. Even more, by making higher education more attainable to more local educators, the scholarship in turn strengthens western Kentucky’s schools by helping more of their teachers enhance their education.

“Our foundation hopes to impact students working toward their education degrees because we recognize that by supporting educators, we are also supporting future generations,” said Bentley Badgett and Rhea Ashby, president and vice president, respectively, of the J. Rogers Badgett Sr. Foundation. “We hope this will be very helpful to students in the western Kentucky area as they pursue their graduate degrees in education.”

The Rogers Badgett Sr. Foundation honors the memory of Rogers Badgett Sr., who was a prominent and successful businessman in western Kentucky, by investing in the education of members of today’s western Kentucky communities. The foundation has demonstrated decades of generous support of education at Murray State, funding not only this scholarship but several others, making over $2 million in financial assistance available to Murray State students over the years. 

"For many years, we have had the good fortune to work with Mr. Bentley Badgett, Rhea Ashby and the Rogers Badgett Sr. Foundation as they have made generous scholarship contributions in order to educate more teachers for our region,” said Murray State President Dr. Bob Jackson. “Their assistance has been transformational and we are deeply grateful for their unwavering support."

Interested applicants can apply for the Rogers Badgett Sr. Foundation Scholarship for Graduate Education through Murray State’s scholarship application portal through their myGate account and learn more about the scholarship opportunities for current students at murraystate.edu/scholarships.

Contributions can be made by contacting the Murray State University Office of Development at 270-809-3001 or by making a secure gift online at murraystate.edu/giving. For more information, please contact Director of Development Brandon Anderson at banderson26@murraystate.edu.