Women who have experienced intimate partner violence, rape or sexual abuse, dating violence, or stalking at some point during their lives need a multitude of diverse resources to fully recover. At the UK Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women, we believe that post-secondary education is among the resources that can help survivors find pathways to healthy and violence-free lives. With that belief, we created the Women’s Empowerment Scholarship Program. 

Each Scholarship costs $100,000 to $150,000, funds which are held in a permanent endowment and which provide an annual stipend to Scholarship recipients. Anyone interested in donating to the Women’s Empowerment Scholarship Program may make a gift which fully funds a scholarship – in that instance the Scholarship is named to honor the donor or a person of the donor’s choice. It is not necessary to fund an entire Scholarship with one gift. Donations of any amount help us build toward a Scholarship and are considered invaluable. Our ultimate goal is to establish five Scholarships.      

Verizon Wireless Women's Empowerment Scholarship - The very first scholarship established under the umbrella of the Women's Empowerment Scholarship was funded by Verizon Wireless, furthering their national prominence in the domestic violence field.  To date, the Verizon Wireless WES has funded two UK students, enriching their lives and giving them the gift of education.  The first recipient, Brandie Cobb, graduated in 2017 and is now in graduate school. 

The Second WES  - The Office for Policy Studies on Violence Against Women is working to establish its second Women's Empowerment Scholarship. We are actively seeking partners for this important campaign, currently having reached over $50,000.

Laura Jane Brown Women's Empowerment Scholarship - University of Kentucky scholar Dr. David Brown has made a generous planned gift that will honor his late wife Laura by funding two Women's Empowerment Scholarships in future years. Dr. Brown's desire to honor Laura derives from their long and devoted love affair, beginning in their early years together as she dedicated herself to the wellbeing of others as a wife, mother, and nurse. Her love of others, the depth of her compassion, and her strength of character make establishment of a scholarship in her name a rightful way to honor her life.  Pictured here is Laura as a nurse in 1972.

For additional information on donating to the Women's Empowerment Scholarship Program, contact Dr. Christia Spears Brown, Associate Dean of Inclusive Excellence, christia.brown@uky.edu.