This year, Kentucky ranks 42nd in the nation for average public school teacher pay at $58,325 despite a 3.6% increase from the previous year. The national average teacher salary is $72,030, according to the 2025 data.
Self's widow, Carolyn Self, provided the initial $20,000 gift to create an endowment fund for the scholarship. Her late husband was an HCC faculty member for 28 years.
University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said he expects the Trump administration policy will cut tens of millions of dollars annually from its National Institutes of Health funding for research.
A spokesperson for MSU said they hope to have the school's 15th president appointed and in place "prior to the beginning of the 2025-26 academic year."
