By Murray Evans
The Associated Press

LEXINGTON - Money for a scholarship program for students from 29 counties in mountainous eastern Kentucky could run out within five years unless something is done, the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees heard Tuesday.

At a board meeting, school officials who oversee the Robinson Forest Scholarship Program said the money in the quasi-endowment that funds the program will be used up by 2008. Trustees were not scheduled to consider any funding solution for the program during the meeting.

The university began awarding the scholarships to eighth-graders in 1997.

The program provides full college tuition, room and board and books at UK or one of the state's community colleges to students who otherwise might not be able to pursue a college degree. Program director Brad Goan said 225 students are attending college through the program.

Earnings from coal-mining and logging operations that are permitted on about 4,000 acres of the 14,000-acre Robinson Forest in Breathitt, Perry and Knott counties fund the program.

Logging magnate Edward Robinson gave the university the land in 1922.

In April 2002, UK president Lee Todd, speaking at the Eastern Kentucky Leadership Conference in Ashland, said the school could generate $56 million by allowing mining on about 200 more acres in the forest. UK agreed to allow some mining in the forest in the early 1990s.

Trustees also heard a report from Carol Jordan, the acting director of the university's new Center for Research on Violence Against Women. Trustees approved the creation of the center during their February meeting.

"We're finding there is a niche here" for such a center, Jordan said. Trustees also approved the appointments of Steven Hoch as the dean of UK's College of Arts and Sciences and Beth Barnes as the director of the School of Journalism and Telecommunications. Hoch has been the University of Iowa's associate provost for academic programs and dean of international programs.

Barnes comes from Syracuse University, where she worked as an advertising professor and assistant dean.