Redesigned Centre license plates available

RELEASED: January 3, 2008

DANVILLE, KY—Beginning this month, Centre College will have new campus-designed license plates (shown left) available for purchase from Kentucky County Clerks' offices.

For the past four years, students, alumni and friends of the College have lead Kentucky in "putting their pride on their (license) plates," but this is the first time since the program's inception that institutions that constitute the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU) have been able to design their own distinct Kentucky license plates.

Each year there's a friendly competition—nicknamed the "Battle of the Bumpers"—to see whose supporters can generate the most money for student scholarships through sales of campus-branded "Independent Higher Education" Kentucky specialty license plates. Ten dollars from the sale of each plate goes directly back to the campus to support student scholarships.

The plates have proven extremely popular among supporters of Kentucky's independent colleges and universities. At last count they had raised more than $129,000, and AIKCU anticipates that the new designs will increase interest in the plates and the competition, ultimately raising more money to support students.

"We're thrilled that our campuses have gotten a chance to make these plates their own," said Gary S. Cox, AIKCU president. "We're looking forward to increasing sales and further raising the visibility of our institutions by putting more of these on the road, and most importantly, raising more money for student scholarships."

The first independent college and university plates hit Kentucky highways in 2002. AIKCU worked with the General Assembly to establish the "Independent Higher Education" Kentucky license plate series during the 2000 General Assembly. However, under the statutes and regulations that existed at the time, all AIKCU member colleges and universities had to share a common plate background and color scheme, with individual campuses differentiated only by their logo stickers and individual taglines.

In the summer of 2007, the common design surpassed its state-mandated five-year life cycle. Combined with advances in license plate printing technology and cooperation between AIKCU and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Kentucky's independent colleges and universities finally got the long-desired opportunity to make their plates distinctive.

"We're grateful to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the staff there for making this possible," Cox said. "The new plates look terrific and are a visible reminder of the great diversity we have in the independent sector."

The new plates for all 20 colleges and universities and the association are on sale through all Kentucky County Clerks offices currently for January birth-month renewals and new issues. Plates cost $44 upon initial issue, including the $10 for student scholarships (because these new plates replace the previous version, all Independent Higher Education plates will be $44 during the first year). Renewal is $31 in subsequent years. Current plate holders interested in renewing early should check with their local County Clerk about renewal policies.

This is a great opportunity for Centre alumni and other friends to "put their pride on the plates" and continue the Centre "tradition of No. 1."

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.