The Board of Regents’ Academic and Student Affairs Committee approved changes to Kansas State University’s qualified admissions criteria, including lowering the GPA‑only requirement and adopting an alternative pathway combining GPA and test‑score measures.

K‑State staff presented the proposal to lower the GPA‑only threshold from 3.25 to 3.00 and to institute an alternate pathway of a 2.5 GPA plus an ACT score of 21. Presenters said the revision followed a five‑year internal review and aims to keep K‑State competitive with regional peers while supporting student success.

Dr. Monholland reminded the committee that state statute requires a multi‑year delay between board approval of qualified admissions changes and the standards’ full application: the change cannot be applied until the cohort of students who were in eighth grade at the time of approval reaches college entry, creating an approximately four‑year lag before the new standards are used in admissions decisions.

Regents discussed the balance between access and readiness. Committee members said the change allows room for students whose high‑school performance may improve over time, while also aligning admissions with completion data. A motion to approve the changes passed on a voice vote.