An Act concerning state educational institutions under control of the state board of regents; relating to admission of students; amending K.S.A. 72-116 and 76-717 and repealing the existing sections.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:

Section 1. On July 1, 2001, K.S.A. 72-116 shall be and is hereby amended to read as follows: 72-116. Any person who shall complete com- pletes a four-year course of study in any high school accredited by the state board of education and who meets the admission requirements es- tablished by the state board of regents pursuant to K.S.A. 76-717, and amendments thereto, shall be entitled to admission to the freshman class of any the state educational institution institutions which are under the control and supervision of the state board of regents, on upon presenting a statement containing a transcript of his or her the high school record of the person signed by the principal of the school or superintendent of the school district and certifying that such the person has satisfactorily com- pleted the course requirements of the state board of education necessary for graduation from high school.

Sec. 2. K.S.A. 76-717 is hereby amended to read as follows: 76-717. (a) The board of regents may adopt rules and regulations for the admis- sion of students at the state educational institutions and. Effective for the 2001-02 academic year and thereafter, the rules and regulations shall include the following:

(1) Each Kansas resident who has graduated from an accredited Kan- sas high school and who is seeking admission to a state educational insti- tution 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) 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.

(3) 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

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

(4) 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 excep- tions to the minimum admissions standards prescribed by this section. These exceptions shall only be applied to students who are bona fide res- idents 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 tui- tion purposes. 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 and shall submit an annual report to the legislature containing the number and percentage of freshman class admissions permitted as exceptions to such standards. The information contained in the annual report shall be dis- aggregated by institution.

(5) 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 edu- cational institutions.

(6) Each person who is not a resident of Kansas and who has grad- uated 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.

(7) 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 trans- fer student to any of the state educational institutions.

(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, three units of natural science, and one unit in the field of computer technology which is designed for the development of computer literacy including a basic understanding of computer operations, applications and programming.

(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 de- termine for the students of such school a level of education that is func- tionally equivalent to the completion of the precollege curriculum with a grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. The determination of a func- tionally 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 a grade point average of 2.50 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.

Sec. 3. K.S.A. 76-717 is hereby repealed.

Sec. 4. On July 1, 2001, K.S.A. 72-116 shall be and is hereby re- pealed.

Sec. 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its publication in the statute book.

Approved April 4, 1996.