The Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization composed of the twenty nonprofit, non-tax supported, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accredited four year colleges and universities in Kentucky. AIKCU consolidated the missions of two earlier organizations: the Kentucky Independent College Foundation, a fundraising organization founded in 1952, and the Council on Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities. AIKCU supports its member institutions and their students through:

• Government relations – AIKCU acts as the voice of Kentucky’s independent higher education community before state agencies and legislators.
• Fundraising – AIKCU provides an efficient vehicle for corporate partners to provide consolidated scholarship and program support.
• Business services – AIKCU works with members and business partners to leverage collaborative opportunities that help campuses control operating costs.
• Cooperative programs – AIKCU sponsors professional development and meetings to facilitate inter-institutional cooperation and resource-sharing, and partners with other similar organizations throughout the United States to share good practices that benefit institutions and students.
• Education initiatives and grant administration – AIKCU coordinates and acts as the administrative agent for collaborative grant opportunities that benefit its member institutions.
• Research – AIKCU works with members, national organizations, and the Council on Postsecondary Education to provide relevant, accurate research and analysis to inform discussions of the role independent higher education plays in Kentucky.
• Public Relations – AIKCU works closely with its members, the media, and its constituents to provide information and materials that highlight the contributions that independent higher education makes to the betterment of Kentucky.

AIKCU is funded primarily by member dues. The Association also receives some support from revenue generated by business services activities. AIKCU is governed by a board of directors comprised of the presidents of its member institutions and representatives from the Kentucky business community. AIKCU is an affiliate member of the Council on Independent Colleges (CIC.org) and a member of the Foundation for Independent Higher Education (FIHE.org) and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU.edu).