Board launches 'First 15' push to expand free dual/concurrent enrollment for Kansas high schoolers

The Board of Regents announced a systemwide initiative dubbed the "First 15" to expand access to dual and concurrent enrollment by offering 15 credits (five college-level courses) at no cost to participating Kansas high school students.

Regent Rusty Monholland told the committee the First 15 is intended to boost college-going rates and improve access for underrepresented students. The board has formed a work group charged with eight tasks, including recommending the courses that will comprise the First 15, proposing a funding framework, designing a standardized dual/concurrent-enrollment provider framework, and reviewing enrollment requirements. The group is expected to complete its work and report recommendations by May 1, 2025.

Staff described two design approaches under consideration: a fixed five-course package for all providers or a bucketed approach using the systemwide general-education framework. Staff favored the bucketed approach to avoid undermining existing math-pathways progress by mandating a single math course for every student. They presented a set of five general-education "buckets" and said 11 courses would be designated as potential First 15 options across those buckets; the natural and physical sciences bucket was omitted because of instructor qualification and lab-hour concerns.

Regents pressed staff on SMART goals, baseline metrics and how the First 15 will interact with existing CEP agreements between colleges and school districts. Staff said institutions' performance agreements and existing data would inform targets and tracking and that CEP agreements would remain in place; the First 15 would operate alongside those agreements and could expand access in service areas where institutions opt not to offer the First 15.

Staff emphasized that participation would not be mandatory for institutions: "please understand this is not a mandate or a directive. The board is not requiring any institution to participate in this," they said. The board signaled support for continued collaboration, data-driven targets and further policy work to ensure funding and provider capacity before full implementation.

Next steps include continued work-group meetings through the spring, development of funding proposals, and draft policy revisions where needed to facilitate statewide implementation.