UK Board approves $5M scholarship gift from Bill Gatton Foundation

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees approved a $5 million gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation on Friday to support student scholarships, continuing the late philanthropist's transformational impact on the institution.

The donation will expand UK LEADS (Leveraging Economic Affordability for Developing Success), a nationally recognized program that identifies and supports students whose primary barrier to success is financial need. Since 2016, the program has distributed nearly $81 million across nearly 9,000 students from 119 Kentucky counties.

The Bill Gatton Scholarship Program has awarded nearly 3,500 scholarships to undergraduate and medical students to date, with the majority distributed through LEADS. The initiative uses a predictive data model to match scholarships, grants and targeted aid to eligible students.

"This investment is transformational for our students and their futures," said Kirsten Turner, 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."

C.M. "Bill" Gatton, a 1954 UK graduate from Bristol, Tennessee, established his foundation in 1985. He served as an honorary member of the UK Board of Trustees and was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Gatton College of Business and Economics, which bears his name. Gatton died in April 2022.

Since his death, The Bill Gatton Foundation has continued his legacy of supporting Kentucky education and workforce development. Combined with Gatton's lifetime gifts, his philanthropic impact at UK now exceeds $200 million, making him and his foundation the university's single largest donors. His gifts have supported transformational projects across campus, including the Gatton Student Center, the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and most recently, a $150 million gift approved in December 2025 to create an arts district with a new College of Fine Arts building and theater.