1.1 Admission Requirements for Degree, Diploma, and Certificate Credentials

1.1.1 Admission as a First-Time Freshman

An applicant shall have fulfilled the minimum requirements for admission for an educational credential (degree, diploma, certificate) at a college if the applicant:

1. has graduated from a public high school or a certified nonpublic high school; or
2. has earned a high school general equivalency certificate (GED);
   the Kentucky Community and Technical College System may exempt a student who is eligible to pursue a GED; or
3. has obtained a state-issued high school equivalency diploma; or
4. has graduated from a non-certified high school or has completed a home school curriculum; and
5. has filed an application for admission by the proper deadline; and
6. has submitted the results of the ACT (or SAT) or other assessment instrument in accordance with the KCTCS Assessment and Placement Policy.

At the time of application for admissions, high school graduates shall be required to submit a final high school transcript which includes a final grade point average and graduation date. A passing GED official score report or the appropriate information of high school equivalency based on where and/or how the student completed the equivalency shall be required by a college.

A student may be admitted conditionally and enroll in courses for one enrollment term. The student must have all required admissions documents submitted prior to any subsequent term enrollments.

1.1.2 Waiver of Condition of High School Graduation For High School Students

Students currently enrolled in high school may be eligible for a waiver of condition of high school graduation.

All KCTCS applicants shall submit an application for admission by the proper deadline.

A KCTCS college may develop more specific criteria for admission of high school students and require additional information be submitted as part of the admission process.

High school students may enroll in courses offered by KCTCS colleges under collaborative dual credit and articulation agreements that contain alternative assessment and placement procedures. Collaborative agreements may be at the college or system level.

1.1.3 Admission of Students with Previous College-Level Competency

The Council on Postsecondary Education’s general education transfer policy and baccalaureate program transfer frameworks policy shall provide the basis for an institution’s policy on the acceptance of transfer credits. The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers’ “Transfer Credit Practices of Educational Institutions” shall serve as a reference for admission of transfer students to a technical institution and for the acceptance of transfer credits. An applicant with previous college work seeking admission to a KCTCS college shall submit an official transcript(s) of all previous college work. 

A state-supported institution shall assure that a transferring student receives academic counseling concerning the transfer of credit among institutions.

An institution shall accept a student’s college credit earned when a course is taken both for high school credit and college credit. Credit earned through a dual enrollment arrangement shall be treated the same as credit earned in any other college course.

Grades, credits, quality points and academic status from courses taken at other colleges in the KCTCS are transferred when the student enrolls.

Degree credit work taken at a fully accredited college or university is recognized credit hour for credit hour. Quarter hours are recognized as two-thirds (2/3) of a semester hour. In order to be classified as fully accredited, a college or university must be a member of an accrediting association.

Academic credit from a non-accredited college or university may be obtained by special subject examinations or may be validated by completion of twelve (12) credit hours, excluding developmental or remedial courses, with a grade point of at least 2.0.

The KCTCS President is authorized to establish reciprocal agreements with fully accredited colleges and universities, whereby grades received, as well as credit earned at a previous institution shall be recognized by colleges.

• 1.1.3.1 Admission of “Second Chance” Students
  • Applicants for admission from outside the colleges shall be considered “second chance” students when they have less than a C average in all previous college work. The applicants may be admitted on probation, provided they have been out of college for at least one semester and have demonstrated potential for success.
• 1.1.3.2 Credit for Prior Learning (Portfolio Assessment) (Deleted 2022-2023)

1.1.4 Admission as a Non-Degree Seeking Student (Non-Credential Seeking)

At the discretion of the institution, persons who desire instruction without wishing to become degree candidates, or who do not meet college entrance requirements, may be admitted as non-degree seeking students. Non-degree seeking students are exempt from taking the assessment instrument; however, all students shall meet individual pre-requisites such as those for entry-level English and mathematics courses. Before enrolling in a particular course, such a student may be required to obtain permission of the division chair or designee. The degree-seeking status of students declaring themselves as "non-degree" will be subject to review and reclassification by the Dean of Student Affairs (or designee) in accordance with policies established at each individual college.

Non-degree seeking students may become degree-seeking students after meeting regular admission requirements; however, work taken as a non-degree seeking student will not in itself qualify a person for admission as a degree student. Credit in degree courses earned before a student meets admission requirements will be counted toward a degree.

Dual credit non-degree seeking students will complete a streamlined electronic form at their college through which they will identify their program of study (major selection) in lieu of completing a new application for admission. Dual credit students who change from non-degree seeking to degree-seeking may be admitted conditionally and enroll in courses for one enrollment term. The student must submit a final high school transcript which includes a final grade point average and graduation date prior to any subsequent term enrollments.

1.1.5 Admission as a Transient Student

A student may be admitted as a transient or visiting student. However, the student’s parent college must certify each term that the student is enrolled or eligible to enroll at the parent institution.

Transient students must meet the pre-requisites for the courses in which they wish to enroll.