Ms. Fe'Lisa Wilson, Director of B.R.E.D.S. Office
Academic Services Building, Suite 406
Phone: (502) 597-6813
Toll-free: (800) 633-9415
Email: admissions@kysu.edu
Kentucky State University provides educational opportunities to all qualified students regardless of economic or social status. KSU does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, marital status, beliefs, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or physical or mental disability.
Admission for first year applicants is based on a holistic review including high school grades, national college admission test results, and successful completion of pre-college curriculum. Applicants may submit official scores from either the ACT Assessment or the SAT I. Official test scores must be sent directly from ACT or SAT (College Board) testing headquarters.
All students who have completed the pre-college curriculum (see below) as prescribed by the Council on Postsecondary Education and have a 2.0 high school grade-point average are encouraged to apply to the first year class at KSU. Enrollment in the first year class is limited.
To be considered for admissions to Kentucky State University, new undergraduate students shall submit the following:
Prospective first year students are strongly encouraged to submit applications to the Building, Recruitment, Enrollment & Discovery Services Office (B.R.E.D.S.) early during their senior year. While the deadline for application is fluid, an early application can have a positive impact on housing, financial aid (administered internally by the University and/or via privately funded scholarships), and other ancillary areas. High school students are strongly encouraged to take the ACT or SAT as often as possible to increase their opportunity of raising their scores. Academic Scholarships offered by the University considers an overall unweighted GPA and Composite test scores.
When registering for the test, please request scores to be sent to Kentucky State University.
High School Equivalency Certificates: Kentucky State University provides consideration for admission from first year applicants who are not high school graduates but who present a valid High School Equivalency Certificate and General Education Development test scores. Applicants must also take the ACT (or SAT I) and have the results sent directly to the B.R.E.D.S. Office from the testing agency.
The B.R.E.D.S. Office will confirm all students’ transcripts arrive from a high school with a College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) code, as well as, the high school seal and/or signature. If a transcript is from a high school that lacks a CEEB code or seal/signature, the B.R.E.D.S. Office will research the matter to confirm whether the school is recognized by the state department of education or home school association. The B.R.E.D.S. Office may request additional documentation at any point in the admission process. If a diploma is determined invalid, a high school equivalency exam may be required for admission consideration.
Moreover, to be considered for full admission, each applicant must have received or be receiving a high school diploma before the term for which the applicant is applying. Those individuals who have not graduated from accredited high schools may be required to have a GED and an official report of the student’s GED scores mailed directly to the B.R.E.D.S. Office from the center where the applicant was tested.
Responses on the applications and on related materials must be complete and accurate; entrance may be denied or registration cancelled as a result of false or misleading statements. All questions about requirements should be referred to the B.R.E.D.S Office at admissions@kysu.edu, (502) 597-6813 or 1-877-367-5978, or by faxing information to (502) 597-5814.
Under 13KAR2:045, the Commonwealth of Kentucky requires that all admission applications be reviewed to determine if documentation of residency is required. Each applicant is notified if documents are needed.
A student who is a resident of Kentucky or whose parent(s) is (are) a resident(s) of Kentucky is considered a resident of the state. If a Kentucky resident graduated from an out-of-state high school, proof of residency must be submitted in order to avoid out-of-state tuition. Submission of a residency affidavit to the B.R.E.D.S Office may be required.
A student who is not a resident of or whose parent(s) is (are) not a resident(s) of Kentucky is considered a non- resident. Additional information can be obtained at the following website: www.lrc.ky.gov/kar/013/002/045.htm.
A student transferring less than 24 semester credit hours to Kentucky State University is considered a first year transfer. A student transferring 24 or more semester credit hours to Kentucky State University is considered a transfer student. Transfer students must submit the following additional documents for admission consideration:
All transfer students who have completed 24 or more semester hours of college work must have earned a cumulative GPA of 2.00. The transfer student is not at liberty to disregard any part of their previous college or university records. Failure to report enrollment at another institution may result in dismissal and/or loss of credits earned at KSU. In the event of academic suspension/dismissal from any institution previously attended or currently being attended, an applicant must provide a letter of good standing from the last institution attended. Transfer applicants who were not eligible for admission to Kentucky State University upon graduation from high school must present a minimum of 24 semester hours of college credit.
In an effort to promote a seamless transfer between Kentucky two-year and four-year public institutions, the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) developed a policy to facilitate the transfer of credits from one Kentucky public college or university to another. This policy is called the General Education Transfer Policy and allows for the automatic transfer of a block of courses to satisfy general education degree requirements.
Students who transfer from another Kentucky public college or university may be
KSU will honor any of these designations and will apply the transferred general education courses to the student’s record at Kentucky State University in a manner that best serves the transferring student.
Students transferring to Kentucky State University are required to submit official transcripts from all previously attended institutions as part of the admissions process. Credits earned at a fully accredited institution may be transferred to KSU and applied toward a degree. A fully accredited institution is one in good standing and a member of one of the six regional academic accrediting associations.
Kentucky State University accepts transfer credits with a grade of D or better. Exceptions to this are transfer equivalents for ENG 101 English Comp I and ENG 102 English Comp II , which must have grades of C or better.
Credits that do not fulfill requirements will be accepted as free electives if grades of D or better were earned. If a grade of D is transferred and the student attempts to use this course to satisfy the requirements for a major or minor, or an area of specialization, the student will have to take the course at KSU and earn a grade of C or better. KSU will not give upper level credit for a course completed at junior or community colleges without validation that the course is equivalent to upper-level university courses with the respective departments reserving final approval.
Regardless of the number of hours accepted for transfer, all candidates for an undergraduate degree must complete 30 of their last 36 hours toward their degree at Kentucky State University.
A student who is not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States is considered an international student. The University welcomes admission inquiries from international students. International students should have a complete admission application on file three months before the beginning of the term (summer/fall/spring semester) in which they intend to enroll.
The international student must follow the following procedures:
Prospective international students are encouraged to utilize the services of World Educational Services, Inc. (WES) for credential evaluation and verification. Instructions can be found at www.wes.org or by an evaluation and translation service available at the National Association of Credential Evaluation Service.
Pre-Arrival - Obtaining an F-1 Visa: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s bureau that oversees all non-immigrant international visitors to the U.S. International students needing a student visa to study at KSU must apply for an F-1 or J-1 visa. . Currently KSU is authorized to issue I-20s and DS-2019s, which is the core document that tells a U.S. Embassy or Consular Officer that a person should be issued an F-1 or J-1 student visa.
International students seeking an undergraduate degree at KSU, must go through the B.R.E.D.S Office application process to gain admission and provide the necessary information to secure an F-1 or J-1 student visa. Below is an overview of the steps and procedures required for international students, but more complete information is available at the following website: https://www.kysu.edu/academics/global-strategies-and-international-affairs/international-admission/index.php.
Post-Arrival: Maintaining Status - Once the student has been issued an F-1 visa and arrives on campus, KSU’s Office of Global Studies and International Affairs is responsible for ensuring the student remains in status according to their visa as well as maintaining up-to-date information on the student in the SEVIS database. All international students are required to attend the mandatory international student orientation organized and presented by OIA. OIA will inform the accepted international students about the orientation schedule and agenda.
Immediately upon arrival on campus students should report to the Office of Global Studies and International Affairs. In addition to issuing I- 20s, KSU, via OIA, is required to report the enrollment of F-1 students every semester. Also, OIA must report in SEVIS current students that fail to enroll, maintain status, or complete their program. Schools are currently required to monitor records of the student’s name, date and place of birth, country of citizenship, address, status, date of commencement of studies, degree program and field of study, practical training, termination date and reason, documents related to the student’s admission, the number of credits completed per semester, and a copy of the I-20.
All this information resides in the SEVIS database rather than solely as hard files at each school. Under current federal regulations, even minor status violations (e.g., failing to inform ICE of change of major or failure to process a timely transfer) could result in loss of future employment authorization eligibility, the opportunity to return to the US after a visit abroad, or even possible deportation.
The student must check in with the Office of Global Studies and International Affairs at the beginning of each semester to verify information in SEVIS and verify the student's program of studies timeline. In order to keep students informed of these important changes, OIA will conduct occasional information sessions as well as provide up-to-date information concerning the new regulations on the OIA web page.
A student not seeking a degree from Kentucky State University is considered a non-degree student. This may include visiting students, early admission (high school) students, senior citizens, post-baccalaureate students without degree intentions, and students pursuing additional undergraduate course work for teacher certification or other career purposes.
Students with an earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university who complete the regular application process and who desire to pursue a baccalaureate degree program at Kentucky State University, will be admitted to the University.
Students who are twenty-one years of age or older, or non-degree seeking, may receive conditional admission to the University (if they do not qualify for regular admission). Such students are exempted from the PCC requirements and are not required to do remedial course work. In addition, such students may obtain University credit hours through Academic Unit Challenge Examinations or by satisfactory performance on the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests.
Students, who have not attended high school for more than five years, are over the age of 25 with a GED or high school diploma and have no post-secondary education credits, are a military veteran, or are over the age of 25 and have not completed sufficient hours to be considered a transfer student, will apply as a first-year student and will need to complete an application. (If you think that you qualify as a non-traditional student for other reasons, please consult the B.R.E.D.S Office, 312 Academic Services Building, toll-free 877-367-5978.)
If the SAT or ACT was taken in high school, have the scores sent directly from the testing agency to the B.R.E.D.S Office. If the SAT or ACT tests were not taken while in high school, KSU does not require the scores for admission to the University. However, if the student declares a major that requires ACT or SAT scores, the student will need to sit for these exam(s). The student’s high school must send all official high school transcripts (or official GED results, if applicable) to the B.R.E.D.S Office. Official transcripts must be sent from each high school attended.
Non-traditional students may be required to take certain placement exams in order to determine accurate course placement. Students who earned 24 semester credit hours or more of college course work after high school will have to apply as a transfer student and must submit a transcript of this work to the Office of Admissions. A non-traditional student must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 for the first 24 semester credit hours. If the minimum GPA of 2.0 is not maintained, an ACT or SAT exam will be required.
A student in good standing at an accredited college may be admitted to the University as a Visiting student. To be eligible for consideration, an applicant must submit an application, a letter of good standing from the current institution, and a $50.00 in U.S. funds for international applications. Visiting student status does not constitute admission or matriculation as a degree candidate. The Visiting students, however, are subject to the same fees and regulations as a regular student except for the continuation-in-residence requirements.
A student who has received a home school diploma must submit the following in lieu of a high school transcript:
Kentucky residents, age 65 or older, may complete the application, be admitted to the University, and have all tuition and fees waived. The University may limit the enrollment of these students if classes are filled or if their admission necessitates additional classes. You must submit a copy of your driver's license to the Bursar’s Office to verify age and residency.
Students who have previously attended Kentucky State University and who wish to reenter must secure readmission from the Registrar’s Office. In order to be eligible for re-admission to the University, students who attended another institution for one semester must have earned an overall average of C or better since last attending Kentucky State. The student must complete the University’s Re-enrolling Form and supply the Registrar’s Office with an official transcript from the institution previously attended.
As a part of the state-supported system of higher education in Kentucky, Kentucky State University is governed by 13 KAR 2:045, a statewide policy for determining residency. For additional information and a copy of the affidavit for a review of residency status, contact the B.R.E.D.S. Office.
Students eligible to receive Veterans Affairs (VA) GI Bill® Education benefits qualify for the in-state tuition rate pursuant to the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 which requires postsecondary institutions to offer in-state tuition rates to qualified veterans and their dependents, regardless of state residency status. In addition, Kentucky Law (13 KAR 2:045) states: “a person eligible for benefits under the federal Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, 38 U.S.C. 33013325, or any other education benefits provided under Title 38 of the United States Code shall be entitled to Kentucky resident status for purposes of tuition charged at state-supported institutions.” (All Kentucky State University students captured under the aforementioned Federal Statute and State Law will be certified by the School Certifying Official (SCO) at the in-state tuition rate). GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
13 KAR 2:045. Determination of residency status for admission and tuition assessment purposes. Relates to: KRS 13B, 164.020, 164.030, 164A.330 (6) 38 U.S.C 3301-3325 (As amended at ARRS, June 9, 2015)
Statutory Authority:
KRS 164.020(8) Necessity, Function, And Conformity: KRS 164.020(8) requires the Council on Postsecondary Education to determine tuition and approve the minimum qualifications for admission to a state supported postsecondary education institution and authorizes the Council to set different tuition amounts for residents of Kentucky and for nonresidents. This administrative regulation establishes the procedure and guidelines for determining the residency status of a student who is seeking admission to, or who is enrolled at, a state-supported postsecondary education institution.
b. A dependent person holding a visa as described in paragraph (a) of this subsection, but who is a dependent of a parent holding a visa as described in subsection (2) of this section, shall be considered as holding the visa of the parent.
A beneficiary of a Kentucky Educational Savings Plan Trust shall be granted residency status if the beneficiary meets the requirements of KRS 164A.330 (6).
b. A single fact shall not be paramount, and each situation shall be evaluated to identify those facts essential to the determination of domicile and residency.
c. A person shall not be determined to be a Kentucky resident by the performance of an act that is incidental to fulfilling an educational purpose or by an act performed as a matter of convenience.
d. Mere physical presence in Kentucky, including living with a relative or friend, shall not be sufficient evidence of domicile and residency.
b. Notification shall be made by registered mail, return receipt requested.
Each institution shall:
(17 Ky.R. 2557; eff. 4-5-1991; Am. 22 Ky.R. 1656; 1988; eff. 5-16-1996; 23 Ky.R. 3380; 3797; 4099; eff. 6-16-1997; 24 Ky.R. 2136; 2705; 25 Ky.R. 51; eff. 7-13-1998; 25 Ky.R. 2177; 2577; 2827; eff. 6-7-1999; 749; 1238; eff. 11-12-2002; 36 Ky.R. 1083; 1951; 2033- M; eff. 4-2-2010; TAm eff. 11-20-2014; 41 Ky.R. 2108; 42 Ky.R. 9; eff. 7-13-2015; TAm 7-13-2015).
The B.R.E.D.S. Office of Admissions determines the residency status of students at the time of application to the University in compliance with 13 Kentucky Administrative Regulation 2:045. A student who questions their residency status, a new applicant, should direct all inquiries to the B.R.E.D.S. Office. All currently enrolled students should submit documentation to the Office of the Registrar. Upon completion of the required affidavit by the student and submission of all required documentation, a written residency decision will be made by the B.R.E.D.S. Office or Registrar’s Office. A student may appeal this decision within 14 days from the date of the residency decision through the B.R.E.D.S. Office to the University Residency Admission/Recruitment Committee, which is established to consider residency classification appeals. The University Residency Admission/Recruitment Committee shall issue its written decision and shall notify the student within 45 days of the receipt of the appeal. Appeals should be addressed to the
Director of B.R.E.D.S.
Kentucky State University
312 Academic Service Building
400 E. Main Street
Frankfort, KY 40601.