76-717. Admission of students. (a) The board of regents may adopt rules and regulations for the admission of students at the state educational institutions. Except as provided by subsection (f), the rules and regulations shall include the following:

(1) Each Kansas resident who has graduated from an accredited Kansas high school and who is seeking admission to a state educational institution shall be admitted if the applicant for admission has achieved at least one of the following:

(A) The applicant has completed the precollege curriculum prescribed by the board of regents with a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale or has been recognized by the board of regents as having attained a functionally equivalent level of education; or

(B) the applicant has a composite American college testing program (ACT) score of not less than 21 points; or

(C) the applicant ranks in the top 1/3 of the applicant's high school class upon completion of seven or eight semesters.

(2) Each Kansas resident who has graduated from a non-accredited private secondary school, as defined in K.S.A. 72-4345, and amendments thereto, and who is seeking admission to a state educational institution shall be admitted if the applicant for admission has a composite American college testing program (ACT) score of not less than 21 points.

(3) Admission to all state educational institutions shall be granted to each Kansas resident under 21 years of age who has earned the general educational development (GED) certificate with an overall score of not less than 50 points.

(4) Admission to all state educational institutions shall remain open for each Kansas resident who is 21 years of age or older and who has:

(A) Graduated from an accredited Kansas high school or a non-accredited private secondary school; or

(B) earned the general educational development (GED) certificate with an overall score of not less than 50 points.

(5) Each state educational institution shall establish and maintain a policy permitting the admission of not more than 10% of the total number of freshman class admissions to the state educational institution as exceptions to the minimum admissions standards prescribed by this section. These exceptions shall only be applied to students who are bona fide residents of Kansas in accordance with rules and regulations of the board of regents and which rules and regulations are substantially similar to law, rule or regulation relative to the determination of resident status for tuition purposes. Such policy shall also provide that in determining which students to admit as exceptions to the minimum admissions standards prescribed by this section, the state educational institution shall give preference to persons who are in military service. The board of regents shall adopt rules and regulations prescribing criteria and guidelines to be applied on a system-wide basis to policies established by the state educational institutions for the purpose of permitting freshman class admissions to the institutions as exceptions to the minimum admissions standards prescribed by this section. On or before January 31 of each year, the board of regents shall submit a report to the legislature containing the number and percentage of freshman class admissions permitted as exceptions to such standards during the preceding academic year. The information contained in the annual report shall be disaggregated by institution.

(6) Each Kansas resident who has earned at least 24 credit hours of transferable course work with a cumulative grade point average of not less than 2.0 on a 4.0 scale at an accredited community college, university or other college shall be admitted as a transfer student to the state educational institutions. Each state educational institution may permit the admission of not more than 10% of the total number of such resident transfer admissions to the state educational institution as exceptions to the minimum admission standards prescribed by this paragraph. In determining which students to admit as exceptions to the minimum admissions standards prescribed by this paragraph, the state educational institution shall give preference to persons who are in military service. The board of regents shall adopt rules and regulations prescribing criteria and guidelines to be applied on a system-wide basis for the purpose of admitting students who have earned at least 24 credit hours of transferable course work to state educational institutions as exceptions to the minimum standards prescribed by this paragraph. On or before January 31 of each year, the board of regents shall submit a report to the legislature containing the number and percentage of transfer student admissions permitted as exceptions to such standards during the preceding academic year. The information contained in the report shall be disaggregated by institution.

(7) Each person who is not a resident of Kansas and who has graduated from an accredited high school may be admitted as a freshman to any of the state educational institutions if the person has achieved at least one of the following:

(A) The person has completed the precollege curriculum prescribed by the board of regents with a minimum grade point average of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale or has been recognized by the board of regents as having attained a functionally equivalent level of education; or

(B) the person has a composite American college testing program (ACT) score of not less than 21 points; or

(C) the person ranks in the top 1/3 of the person's high school class upon completion of seven or eight semesters.

(8) Each person who is not a resident of Kansas and who has graduated from a non-accredited private secondary school meeting requirements substantially equivalent to K.S.A. 72-4345 through 72-4347, and amendments thereto, may be admitted to any state educational institution if the person has a composite American college testing program (ACT) score of not less than 21 points.

(9) Each person who is not a resident of Kansas and who has earned at least 24 credit hours of transferable course work with a cumulative grade point average of not less than 2.0 on a 4.0 scale at an accredited community college, university or other college may be admitted as a transfer student to any of the state educational institutions. Each state educational institution may permit the admission of not more than 10% of the total number of such non-resident transfer admissions to the state educational institution as exceptions to the minimum admission standards prescribed by this paragraph. In determining which students to admit as exceptions to the minimum admissions standards prescribed by this paragraph, the state educational institution shall give preference to persons who are in military service. The board of regents shall adopt rules and regulations prescribing criteria and guidelines to be applied on a system-wide basis for the purpose of admitting students who have earned at least 24 credit hours of transferable course work to state educational institutions as exceptions to the minimum standards prescribed by this paragraph. On or before January 31 of each year, the board of regents shall submit a report to the legislature containing the number and percentage of transfer student admissions permitted as exceptions to such standards during the preceding academic year. The information contained in the report shall be disaggregated by institution.

(10) (A) For those students admitted under an exception to the minimum admissions standards prescribed by this subsection for academic years 2012-2013 and 2013-2014, each state educational institution may require each such student to adopt an individual plan for success.

(B) For those students admitted under an exception to the minimum admissions standards prescribed by this subsection for academic year 2014-2015 and each academic year thereafter, each state educational institution shall require each such student to adopt an individual plan for success prior to enrollment.

(C) Any individual plan for success adopted pursuant to this paragraph shall be reviewed by the student and the student's advisor at least once during the 12-month period immediately succeeding the initial adoption of such plan. Upon completion of such review, the plan may be revised as mutually agreed to by the student and the student's advisor. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as prohibiting any plan from being reviewed at any other time while the student is attending such state educational institution, or from being reviewed more than once during any academic year.

(b) The board of regents may prescribe a precollege curriculum which includes, but need not be limited to, four units of English, three units of mathematics, three units of social studies and three units of natural science.

(c) When a Kansas high school is organized in a manner that provides for documentation of a student's performance in terms other than units of credit or grade point averages, or both, the board of regents shall determine for the students of such school a level of education that is functionally equivalent to the completion of the precollege curriculum with the required grade point average on a 4.0 scale. The determination of a functionally equivalent level of education required under this subsection shall be made by the board of regents after consultation with the state board of education and the board of education or other governing authority having jurisdiction over the students of the affected school.

(d) The board of regents shall determine a level of education that is functionally equivalent to the completion of the precollege curriculum with the required grade point average on a 4.0 scale for persons who are not residents of Kansas.

(e) The board of regents may authorize the chief executive officer of each state educational institution to adopt additional rules and policies relating to admissions of students so long as such rules and policies are not in conflict with the provisions of this section.

(f) The board of regents may adopt rules and regulations establishing standards for the admission of students to state educational institutions that differ from the standards set forth in subsection (a). Rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this subsection that are more rigorous than those set forth in subsection (a) shall not be effective prior to the first day of the fourth academic year following the year in which the rules and regulations are adopted.

(g) Information in reports required to be compiled and submitted to the legislature by this section may be compiled and submitted to the legislature in a single report.

(h) For purposes of this section:

(1) "Individual plan for success" means a written statement for each student admitted under an exception to the minimum admission standards prescribed in subsection (a) that is jointly developed by the student, the student's advisor and any other employee designated by the state educational institution for the purposes of establishing an individualized plan for such student to assist the student in achieving such student's academic goals. In addition to academic coursework, such plan may also address such student's extracurricular activities, financial needs and any other aspect of such student's life which may have a bearing on the student's academic success at the state educational institution. Any such plan may be revised after its initial adoption as mutually agreed to by the student and the student's advisor.

(2) "Military service" means: (A) Any active service in any armed service of the United States; or (B) membership in the Kansas army or air national guard.

History: L. 1970, ch. 371, § 7; L. 1977, ch. 237, § 30; L. 1996, ch. 110, § 2; L. 2009, ch. 37, § 1; L. 2012, ch. 168, § 11; July 1.