Kentucky moves toward a statewide college application

Kentucky is moving toward a statewide college application system. In a September 28 announcement, the Council on Postsecondary Education said it had approved pursuing Common App as the platform for carrying out part of the My Kentucky Future Act. The decision identifies a proposed provider; it does not establish that the statewide system is already operating.

The law, enacted as House Bill 307, requires Kentucky public postsecondary institutions to implement a Council-approved common application for full-time, first-year students by July 1, 2027. It also establishes a program through which institutions will send eligible high school students personalized notices of prospective admission beginning in 2028. Those notices will explain how to apply and provide information about financial aid and college costs. They will not guarantee admission, and institutions retain authority to review applications.

For UofL, Common App is already an option for first-time freshman applicants, alongside the university’s Take Flight application. The university’s current checklist still requires an official high school transcript and directs students to review their application requirements through the UofL Application Gateway. Families should continue to follow those published instructions while the statewide approach develops.

The connection to CEHD includes students considering undergraduate programs in teacher education, organizational leadership, exercise physiology and sport administration. A common application could make it easier for prospective students to consider these programs alongside options at other Kentucky institutions. That is a potential benefit of the policy, not an established enrollment result. For faculty and staff working with schools, the distinction between a notice of prospective admission and a final admissions decision will also matter when helping students interpret what they receive.

CPE plans to make the Common App link available through Futuriti.org, the state’s education and career planning website. The next developments to watch are the Council’s implementation guidance and instructions from individual campuses as the July 2027 deadline approaches. For CEHD readers, those details will clarify how the statewide process connects to the application steps students already follow at UofL.

Sources:

• CPE announcement
• My Kentucky Future Act
• UofL application checklist
• CEHD undergraduate programs