Kentucky public colleges would create pathways for transferring students

The council and public colleges would develop and maintain statewide transfer pathways of up to 60 credits. Pathways would cover selected bachelor’s degree programs at participating public universities. Pathways would be selected using factors such as student demand, workforce needs, and shared learning outcomes. A school left out because its learning outcomes do not align would identify courses that cannot count toward core requirements and post the list online. The pathways must be developed, put in place, and maintained by July 1, 2028.

Public colleges would accept and apply qualifying transfer credits toward degree requirements. These rules cover transfers among participating public postsecondary schools and courses in a pathway available at both the sending and receiving school. For credit under a statewide pathway, the student must have satisfactorily completed the course at a participating school, and the pathway must be available at both schools. Receiving schools would apply general education pathway credits to matching general education requirements before counting them as electives. The pathway credit rules would begin July 1, 2028.

Public colleges would follow transfer protections for students with approved associate degrees. This covers graduates of council-approved associate of arts or associate of science programs at Kentucky public postsecondary institutions who transfer to a related public bachelor’s program. The protections apply when students complete the required prerequisites for the related bachelor’s program as part of their associate degree. The same admission criteria apply as for students who earned lower-division credits at the receiving university; qualifying graduates receive priority over out-of-state students who meet those criteria.