In 2012, Governor Brownback launched a plan to enhance career technical education in Kansas and better prepare high school students for college and careers. Senate Bill 155 was the enacting legislation, and beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, Kansas high school students qualify for state-funded college tuition in approved technical courses offered by Kansas technical and community colleges.  

Snapshot of Success

HANDOUT: Excel in Career Technical Education Initiative  (January 2024) (pdf)

Postsecondary career technical education has experienced significant growth in the number of students participating in technical courses, the college credit hours generated, and credentials earned by students in high school since the inception of the initiative in 2012.  

 ^{Updated: February 2023}

Academic Year 2025 Excel in cTe fees

Technical programs may have associated fees for items such as textbooks, tools, and personal protective equipment for students to effectively participate in coursework. The following list includes fees approved by the Technical Education Authority in March 2024, effective for Academic Year 2025. Fees listed are totals for each specific award level within a given program. Students must verify specific Excel in CTE fees with their institution upon applying to take courses. Please contact the community and technical colleges directly for information on applicable fees and opportunities for funding assistance.

Note: ALL technical education courses included in technical programs approved by the Kansas Board of Regents are eligible for tuition reimbursement. This is a list of the separate fees that may be applicable on a per-program basis at each institution.

Academic Year 2025 Excel in CTE Fees

Online Excel in CTE Courses by Institution

Various Excel in CTE tuition-eligible courses are offered online by technical and community colleges. The following institutions have compiled a listing of Excel in CTE-eligible courses which include an online component available Fall 2024/Spring 2025.

The following is not a complete list of all technical and community colleges that offer Excel in CTE-eligible courses, nor all Excel in CTE-eligible courses that are offered online. Please contact the community and technical colleges directly for information on how to sign up for courses, if you would like more information on the courses available, or have any additional questions.

Participating Institutions 
Allen Community College

Barton Community College

Fort Scott Community College

Garden City Community College

Highland Community College

Hutchinson Community College

Kansas City Kansas Community College

Neosho County Community College

Pratt Community College

Resources

	2024-2025 Qualifying Credentials - approved April 2024 (pdf) Note: ALL technical education courses approved by the Kansas Board of Regents are eligible for tuition reimbursement. This is a list of the high need/high demand credentials that are eligible for the incentive.
	FAQ: Excel in Career Technical Education - updated December 2018 (pdf)

• Original (2012) SB155 Legislation (pdf)
• HANDOUT: Determination process for the high demand credential incentive list (pdf)
  
  

You can also visit the Kansas Career Technical Education Program Search to find information on career education training opportunities from 26 Kansas public technical and community colleges.

Career Technical Education (CTE) Credential and transition incentive for employment success (SB123)

Signed into law during the 2023 legislative session, SB123 directs school districts to pay for assessment fees for identified career technical education (CTE) credentials upon student request. The State Board of Education and the State Board of Regents, after consultation with the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Commerce and representatives of industries that recognize career technical education credentials, have jointly approved a list of eligible industry-sought credentials for Academic Year 2024. Interested students should contact their school district for more information.

2023-2024 SB123 Credential List (pdf)

excel in cte National Recognition

In 2013, the initiative received national recognition as “Top Ten Innovations to Watch” from the Brookings Institute.

In the September 2013 issue of Techniques, a national monthly magazine published by The Association for Career and Technical Education, Martin Kollman of the Kansas State Department of Education and Lisa Beck of the Kansas Board of Regents published the article: “Free CTE College Tuition and Certification Funding: KS SB155 at Work.”

The number of adults who lack skills beyond a high school diploma is a significant national concern. In Kansas alone, there are over 700,000 working-age adults (ages 25-64) with no meaningful postsecondary credential.  

 With significant concern of this trend continuing, more and more Kansas jobs are requiring workers with some form of postsecondary credential. Magnified by the difficulty faced by employers across the state, struggling to find qualified workers who can fill skilled positions, Kansas community and technical colleges play a vital role in promoting economic prosperity for all Kansans through this successful program.

The Kansas Board of Regents, in partnership with the Kansas Department of Commerce, has implemented Accelerating Opportunity in Kansas (AO-K) to transform the delivery system for adult education in Kansas by delivering career and technical education at the same time as adult basic skills instruction within a career pathways framework. Students complete short-term certificate programs aligned with labor market needs, leading to industry-recognized credentials and immediate jobs.

Community and technical colleges across Kansas are implementing Accelerating Opportunity:

• Barton Community College
• Butler Community College
• Colby Community College
• Cowley Community College
• Dodge City Community College
• Flint Hills Technical College
• Fort Scott Community College
• Garden City Community College
• Highland Community College
• Hutchinson Community College
• Independence Community College
• Johnson County Community College
• Kansas City Kansas Community College
• Labette Community College
• Manhattan Area Technical College
• Neosho Community College
• Salina Area Technical College
• Seward County Community College/Area Technical School
• Washburn Institute of Technology
• WSU Tech
  
  

What is Accelerating Opportunity: Kansas (AO-K)

Accelerating Opportunity: Kansas (AO-K) is an integrated education and training (IET) model delivered in partnership between adult education and career technical education (CTE) programs. AO-K is designed to help students complete career pathways, earn industry-recognized credentials, and begin their careers. Career pathways are approved career technical education programs at Kansas’s public community and technical colleges in which:

• Courses are team-taught with a basic skills instructor
• AO-K pathways are a minimum of 12 credit hours in a high-demand and high-wage occupation
• Institutions provide wraparound support services, including, but not limited to, advising, transition coaching, and assistance in connecting to community resources
• Supplemental instruction is provided

Nationally, IET programs such as AO-K have been proven to help students earn more credit hours, complete programs, and succeed where they may have otherwise struggled.

AO-K Pathways and Credentials List (June 10, 2024)

Resources

2023 AO-K Handbook (pdf)

2023 AO-K Pathway Application  (doc)

For more information about this initiative, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) refers to a process used by postsecondary institutions to award academic credit for a student's knowledge and expertise acquired through life and professional experience, as long as the student's knowledge and skills are determined to be equivalent to college-level learning.  CPL helps students accelerate completion of their degrees as evidenced by research from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL). These studies suggest students who earn CPL demonstrate higher graduation rates, better persistence and shorter time to degree.

Kansas Credit for Prior Learning Guidelines - November 2024 (pdf) The Kansas Credit for Prior Learning Task Force has developed guidelines to ensure consistent practices and quality standards are used across institutions. CPL awards credit for college-level equivalent knowledge and skills and includes credit evidenced by national standardized exams, military training transcripts, industry credentials, portfolios, and other methods.

Reports

• Credit for Prior Learning Awarded by KBOR Institutions - Academic Year 2023 - May 2024 (pdf)
• Credit for Prior Learning Awarded by KBOR Institutions - Academic Year 2022 - April 2023 (pdf)
• Credit for Prior Learning Awarded by KBOR Institutions - Academic Year 2021 - April 2022 (pdf)
• Credit for Prior Learning Awarded by KBOR Institutions - Academic Year 2020 - May 2021 (pdf)
• Credit for Prior Learning Awarded by KBOR Institutions - Academic Year 2019 - May 2020 (pdf)
• Credit for Prior Learning Awarded by KBOR Institutions - Academic Year 2018 - June 2019 (pdf)

Resources - Kansas 

• WEBSITE: Military Articulation Portal - launched August 2019
• PRESENTATION: Mapping ACE Credit for Military and Veterans - March 2017 (pdf)
• PRESENTATION: Credit for Prior Learning Pathways , ACE - June 2014 (pdf)
• TOOL:  ACE Gauging Institutional Capacity Tool (doc)
• Introductory Webinars from:
  • CAEL - PLA Quality Standards  - January 2014 (pdf)
  • ACE - Credit for Prior Learning Pathways - January 2014 (pdf)
  • College Board - Developing Effective PLA Policy for CLEP - February 2014 (pdf)
  • PLA at Thomas Edison State College - February 2014 (pdf)
• High School Counselor:
  • Cambridge in High Schools
  • CLEP Implementation for High Schools
             

Resources - National Experts

• Midwest Higher Education Consortium-Multi-State Collaborative on Military Credit (website)
• The Council For Adult & Experiential Learning Research Highlights (pdf), includes links to full research documents
• REPORT: Fueling the Race, CAEL - March 2010 (pdf)
• State Policy Approaches to Support PLA, CAEL - 2012 (pdf)
• American Council on Education (website)

Resources - State and Institutional Initiatives

• Ohio - PLA with a Purpose (pdf)
• Tennessee - Recommended Standards in Prior Learning Assessment Policy and Practice - August 2012 (pdf)
• North Carolina - Credit for Military Training at FTCC (website)  
• Minnesota - Career Pathways: Get Credit for Prior Learning (website)
• Indiana - Supporting Hoosier Veterans: A Look at Military Credit in Indiana - November 2016 (pdf)

credit for prior learning task force members

The Kansas Credit for Prior Learning Task Force consists of representation from each university and representation from the community college and technical college sectors. These representatives shall be appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, in consultation with the Vice President of Workforce Development. The role of the Kansas Credit for Prior Learning Task Force shall be to provide oversight, as directed by the Board, for implementation of this policy and the Kansas Credit for Prior Learning Guidelines. 

Name	Institution
Taylor Kriley	Emporia State University
Sheila Markowitz	Emporia State University
Kelsi Broadway	Fort Hays State University
Marcus Porter	Fort Hays State University
Nick Brown	Kansas State University
Melinda Roelfs	Pittsburg State University
Casey Fraites-Chapes	University of Kansas
Stephanie Lanning	Washburn University
Melanie Worsley	Washburn University
Gina Crabtree	Wichita State University
Deb Beat	Wichita State University
Lori Crowther	Barton Community College
Carmen Bunck	Butler Community College
Devin Graves	Cowley College
Brenda Carmichael	Flint Hills Technical College
Courtney Metcalf	Fort Scott Community College
Carlos Carrillo	Highland Community College
Christina Long	Hutchinson Community College
Leslie Quinn	Johnson County Community College
Steve Davis	Manhattan Area Technical College
Alaina Rice	Seward County Community College
Vera Brown	Kansas Board of Regents
Charmine Chambers	Kansas Board of Regents
Samantha Christy-Dangermond	Kansas Board of Regents
Julie Clark	Kansas Board of Regents
Mistie Knox	Kansas Board of Regents
Karla Wiscombe	Kansas Board of Regents
Tobias Wood	Kansas Board of Regents

In September 2010, the Kansas Board of Regents approved a 10-year strategic agenda for the state’s public higher education system. Entitled Foresight 2020, the plan sets long-range achievement goals that are measurable, reportable, and ensures the state’s higher education system meets Kansans’ expectations.

Six years of reporting are now available to review progress on Foresight 2020 goals and objectives.  A redesign of the overall strategic plan structure in 2012 reduced the number of strategic goals from six to three, but retained many of the original measures. In 2015 and 2016 minor modifications were made to the structure of the progress report and several updated metrics were added.

The three strategic goals of Foresight 2020 are: 

1. Increase Higher Education Attainment Among Kansans
2. Improve Alignment of the State's Higher Education System with the Needs of the Economy
3. Ensure State University Excellence  
   
   

Foresight 2020 Strategic Plan - Summary Overview (January 2017) (pdf)

Progress Reports

Ninth Annual Foresight 2020 Progress Report (February 2020)

• Print Report (pdf)
• Appendix: Graduation by Institution (pdf)
• Appendix: Retention by Institution (pdf)
• Appendix: Race/Ethnicity Demographics by Institution (pdf)
• Appendix: University Peer Comparisons (pdf)

Eighth Annual Foresight 2020 Progress Report (January 2019)

• Print Report (pdf)
• Appendix: Graduation by Institution (pdf)
• Appendix: Retention by Institution (pdf)
• Appendix: Race/Ethnicity Demographics by Institution (pdf)
• Appendix: University Peer Comparisons (pdf)
• Supplemental Notes - includes additional explanation on data and initiatives presented throughout the report (pdf)
• Glossary - defines terms used throughout the report (pdf)

Seventh Annual Foresight 2020 Progress Report (January 2018)

• Print Report (pdf)
• Appendix: Graduation by Institution (pdf)
• Appendix: Retention by Institution (pdf)
• Appendix: Race/Ethnicity Demographics by Institution (pdf)
• Appendix: University Peer Comparisons (pdf)
• Supplemental Notes - includes additional explanation on data and initiatives presented throughout the report (pdf)
• Glossary - defines terms used throughout the report (pdf)

Sixth Annual Foresight 2020 Progress Report (January 2017)

• Print Report (pdf)
• Appendix: Credential Production by Institution - interactive data set
• Appendix: Graduation by Institution (pdf)*
• Appendix: Retention by Institution (pdf)*
• Appendix: Student Success Index - interactive data set
• Appendix: Race/Ethnicity Demographics by Institution (pdf)*
• Appendix: Employment and Wages in Kansas by Institution - interactive data set
• Appendix: University Peer Comparisons (pdf)**
• Supplemental Notes - includes additional explanation on data and initiatives presented throughout the report (pdf)
• Glossary - defines terms used throughout the report (pdf)

^{*Appendix files were reloaded to the site on 2/9/17; only formatting changes were made.
**University Peer Comparisons were updated on 3/13/17 following new IPEDS data available on select metrics; rankings were not adjusted in the print report.}

Additional information referenced in the report and available on this website:

• NCHEMS Attainment Model
• Kansas Guaranteed Course Transfer/Reverse Transfer
• Accelerating Opportunity: Kansas
• Excel in Career Technical Education (SB155)
• University Engineering Initiative Act
• Kansas Nursing Initiative
• K-TIP Report
  
  

Fifth Annual Foresight 2020 Progress Report (January 2016)

• Presentation - made to the Kansas Board of Regents on January 20, 2016 (pdf)
• Print Report - written report on Foresight 2020 progress (pdf)
• Appendix: Credential Production by Institution - interactive data set
• Appendix: Graduation by Institution (pdf)
• Appendix: Retention by Institution (pdf)
• Appendix: Student Success Index - interactive data set
• Appendix: Race/Ethnicity Demographics by Institution (pdf)
• Appendix: Employment and Wages in Kansas by Institution - interactive data set
• Appendix: University Peer Comparisons (pdf)
• Supplemental Notes - includes additional explanation on data and initiatives presented throughout the report (pdf)
• Glossary - defines terms used throughout the report (pdf)
  
  

Fourth Annual Foresight 2020 Progress Report (January 2015)

• Presentation - made to the Kansas Board of Regents (pdf)
• Print Report - written report on Foresight 2020 progress (pdf)
• Appendix: Demographics by Institution (pdf)
• Appendix: Graduation by Institution (pdf)
• Appendix: Retention by Institution (pdf)
• Appendix: Student Success Index - interactive data set
• Appendix: Credential Production by Institution (pdf)
• Appendix: Employment in Kansas and Average Earnings by Award Type by Institution (pdf)
• Supplemental Notes - includes additional explanation on data and initiatives presented throughout the report (pdf)
• Glossary - defines terms used throughout the report (pdf)
  
  

Third Annual Foresight 2020 Progress Report (January 2014)

• Presentation - made to the Kansas Board of Regents (pdf)
• Print Report - written report on Foresight 2020 progress; includes appendices (pdf)
• Supplemental Notes - includes additional explanation on data and initiatives presented throughout the report (pdf)
• Glossary - defines terms used throughout the report (pdf)
  
  

Second Annual Foresight 2020 Progress Report (January 2013)

• Presentation - made to the Kansas Board of Regents; includes updates on metrics (pdf)
• Print Report - written report on Foresight 2020 progress (pdf)
• Appendices - includes institution level data on student demographics, retention, graduation, credential production and employment in Kansas post graduation (pdf)
  
  

First Annual Foresight 2020 Progress Report (January 2012)

• Presentation - made to the Kansas Board of Regents; includes update on tasks and measures as outlined in the inagural Foresight 2020 Strategic Plan (pdf)
• Print Report - written report on Foresight 2020 progress (pdf)