Letcher County Students Receive Scholarship to Attend EKU

Published on October 26, 2023

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) awarded 17 students the Bud Fugate Endowed Scholarship for Letcher County. 

An anonymous donor gave EKU $1.6 million to establish the scholarship in memory of Bud Fugate. Fugate, a native of Mayking, Letcher County, Kentucky, dreamed of attending college when he graduated high school but was unable to afford it. Instead, he joined the Navy and served for 11 years. When he was medically discharged, he attended EKU and majored in industrial arts and later pursued a master’s degree in counseling.

The Bud Fugate Endowed Scholarship for Letcher County aids undergraduate students from Letcher County who demonstrate financial need. In their pursuit of higher education, the scholarship helps to pay for tuition, housing and meal plans and is renewable for four years if the student maintains a 3.0 GPA.