KCTCS Catalog

Admissions

Admissions

Applying for Admission

A student enrolling at a KCTCS college for the first time must submit an application for admission.  Students who are re-entering the community and/or technical college after being out for one or more semesters must update their student records with the admission office.  Students may be admitted to a KCTCS college as freshmen, as students with transfer credit from other institutions, as visiting students, or as non-degree students.  KCTCS colleges admit students who have graduated from high school, who have earned a high school general equivalency diploma (GED), who are eligible to pursue a GED, or who are dually enrolled in high school and the college.  

Admission Procedure

*    Prospective students should contact the admission office of the college they wish to attend and request an admission application.

*    The full and proper name of the student and KCTCS student ID number must be used in registration and for all other official purposes.

*    Applicants entering a college for the first time may be required to send an official copy of their high school transcript or GED to the admission office of the college they plan to attend for specific program requirements.

*    Applicants entering with transfer credit must have an official transcript from each college attended forwarded to the admission office of the college they plan to attend.

*    Applicants should submit results of the American College Test® (ACT) or Scholastic Aptitude Test® (SAT).  Applicants who have not taken the ACT® must complete the COMPASSTM or ASSET® placement examination administered by any KCTCS college. For specific information regarding course placement, students should refer to the KCTCS Assessment and Placement Policy, which is available on the website at www.kctcs.edu. 

*    Admission to a college does not guarantee admission to a specific program.  Applicants seeking admission to an occupational/technical program at any KCTCS college should contact the admission office of the college of interest for information regarding any special requirements for program admission.

*    Applicants must submit an application for admission, the entering student survey, and supporting documents prior to the first day of classes of the term or session for which the student plans to enroll.  Some colleges, however, may have an earlier date.  Students should check with the admission office of the college they plan to attend for registration/application deadlines.

After receiving the completed application and other forms, the admission office will notify the applicant of his or her admission status.

Conditional Admission

It is expected that all students will submit all required credentials in order to be eligible to register for classes.  Beginning two weeks before the start of classes, students may be granted "conditional" admission status and be allowed to register prior to the completion of the credential file.

The students will be advised that their grades will be held and that no transcript will be released until the "conditional" status is removed.  "Conditional" status will be removed when all credentials have been received. 

Students will not be permitted to register for subsequent semesters with a "conditional" status.

Non-Degree/Non-Credential Students

At the discretion of the institution, persons who desire instruction without wishing to earn a credential may be admitted as non-degree/non-credential students. These students are exempt from taking the assessment instrument; however, all students (including high school students) must meet individual pre-requisites such as those for entry-level English and mathematics courses. 

Students may declare credential seeking status after meeting regular admission requirements.  The college may review and reclassify credential-seeking status in accordance with policies established at each individual college.  Non-degree/non-credential students are not eligible for Federal Financial Aid programs.

Credit earned before a student meets admission requirements will be counted toward a credential.

High School Students

The condition of graduation from high school may be waived for a student currently enrolled in high school subject to the following guidelines.  All applicants shall submit:

*    a KCTCS application for admission by the appropriate deadline

*    the results of the ACT®, SAT® and/or ASSET® or COMPASSTM in accordance with KCTCS Assessment and Placement Policy.

A college may require additional information as part of the admission process.

In some cases, courses offered on the high school campus carry both high school and college credit.  See your high school counselor for more information.

"Second Chance" Students

A student who has previously attended an accredited college or university -- other than a college in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System -- and who has less than an overall grade-point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale in all course work attempted, may be considered for admission on probation provided the applicant demonstrates one of the following:

*    has not enrolled at a college or university for at least one 16-week semester or

*    can demonstrate potential for success.

Transient/Visiting Students

A student may be admitted as a transient or visiting student.  A transient or visiting student must submit a form completed by the student's home college indicating that the student is eligible to enroll in that institution.  Admission as a transient or visiting student is valid only for the semester or session for which the student applies.

International Students

Some KCTCS colleges are authorized under Federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students.   Consult the admissions office of your college for details.

Readmission after Two or More Years: Academic Bankruptcy

A student who has been re-admitted after having remained out of a KCTCS College for a period of two or more years, and who has completed at least 12 credit hours in non-developmental and non-remedial courses with a grade point average of 2.0 or better after readmission, may choose to have his/her previous KCTCS course work removed from the computation of the grade point average.  This procedure is commonly called "academic bankruptcy."

A student who declares academic bankruptcy will continue to receive credit for those courses in which a grade of A, B, C, D, or P was earned prior to readmission without including those grades in the GPA computation.

Previous College Work

An applicant who has previously attended an accredited college or university which awards degrees at the associate level or higher and who has an overall grade point average of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale in all course work attempted will be accepted for admission.  For specific information on course placement, applicants should refer to the KCTCS Assessment and Placement Policy, which is available on the website at www.kctcs.edu.  An official transcript of all previous college work must be submitted.  The Council on Postsecondary Education's (CPE'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 credit.  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 an institution and for the acceptance of transfer credit.

KCTCS colleges shall provide academic counseling concerning the transfer of credit to transferring students.  KCTCS colleges shall accept a student's college credit earned when a course is taken both for high school credit and for college credit.  Credit earned through a dual credit or dual enrollment arrangement shall be treated the same as credit earned in any other college course.

Degree credit work is recognized credit hour for credit hour if taken on the semester system.  Quarter hours are recognized as two-thirds (2/3) of a semester hour.  Recognition of credit earned at a non-accredited college or university may be obtained by special subject examinations or may be validated upon the completion of 12 credit hours, excluding developmental or remedial courses, with a grade point average of at least 2.0.

Change of Program

When students enroll in a KCTCS college they select a program of study in which they wish to "major" or receive a credential.  Students enrolled in any KCTCS college may request a program change through the student affairs office of their local college.   These students are instructed to seek appropriate advisement and financial aid counseling.   

KCTCS Assessment and Placement Policy

Students enrolling in KCTCS colleges for the purpose of earning credit applicable toward an educational credential --certificate, diploma, or associate degree -- must demonstrate through the submission of scores on specified assessment instruments that they possess the minimum academic skills essential for success.  Students who do not have the appropriate test scores in a given area must successfully complete remedial courses before enrolling in entry-level courses for that subject area.

This assessment and placement policy specifically applies to:

*    Students who will enroll in a KCTCS college for the first time in fall 2001 or later for the purpose of earning an educational credential.  This includes students who intend to transfer to a university, and students who are un-decided on a program of study.

*    Students who transfer from a non-KCTCS institution and who have not demonstrated academic skills appropriate for the educational credential they seek, either through assessment results or successful completion of relevant entry-level courses.

*    Students who decide to earn an educational credential subsequent to their enrollment as a non-credential seeking student and who have not demonstrated the academic skills appropriate for the educational credential they seek.

The skills for which the Assessment and Placement Policy applies are mathematics, reading, and writing.  An ACT® score of 18 or above in mathematics, reading or writing allows the student to enroll in entry-level courses for those areas.  A student who scores less than 18 in mathematics, reading or writing is required to take an additional test and will be placed into classes according to her/his score on the second test.

Students who do not intend to seek an educational credential are exempt from taking the assessment instrument; however, all students must meet individual course pre-requisites such as those for entry-level English and mathematics courses.