(a) A public school student who graduates from a public high school after May 1, 2002, must have successfully completed the core curriculum recommended by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board after consultation with the State Board of Education and under § 6-61-217 with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale in order to be eligible for unconditional admission as an undergraduate to a state-supported four-year institution of higher education.
(b) Subject to subsection (c) of this section any public school student who graduates from a public high school after May 1, 2002, must have successfully completed the core curriculum recommended by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board after consultation with the State Board of Education and under § 6-61-217 in order to be eligible for unconditional admission to a state-supported two-year institution of higher education.
(c)
(1)
(A) The colleges and universities shall develop standards for collegiate admissions based on the mission of each institution and establish a conditional collegiate admissions process for each institution, subject to the recommendations of the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
(B)
(i) The colleges and universities shall establish standards for conditional admission for public school graduates who have not completed the core curriculum, subject to the recommendations of the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
(ii) At a minimum, these conditional admissions standards shall require the following:
(a) For a public school graduate seeking an associate of arts degree or a baccalaureate degree who failed to successfully complete the core curriculum, completion of twelve (12) hours of core academic courses and any necessary remedial courses with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale; or
(b) For a public school graduate seeking a diploma, a technical certificate, or an associate of applied science degree who failed to successfully complete the core curriculum, completion of six (6) hours of core academic courses, six (6) hours of technical courses required for the diploma, technical certificate, or associate of applied science degree, and any necessary remedial courses with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
(2)
(A) Conditional admissions standards shall reflect the mission of each institution and shall be implemented by the institutions as a condition for receiving state funds.
(B) If the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board does not approve the conditional collegiate admissions standards and process for an institution, state funds shall not be used to subsidize or pay for any portion of the cost associated with the conditional students.
(3) The admissions criteria set forth in this section shall not apply to those individuals who graduate from a public high school prior to May 1, 2002.
(d)
(1) Conditional admissions standards for nontraditional students shall be based on the student's score on the ACT composite or its equivalent as defined by the Division of Higher Education, which shall issue guidelines to assist two-year and four-year institutions of higher education in developing conditional admissions standards.
(2) As used in this subsection, “nontraditional students” shall include those who are home-schooled or who attended private or parochial secondary schools.
(e) Beginning with the 2012-2013 academic year, a student who scores below fifteen (15) on an ACT, or below a comparable score on a comparable exam, may be reassessed to determine the student's ability to benefit using one (1) of the federally approved ability-to-benefit assessments.
(f)
(1) Beginning with the 2012-2013 academic year, a student who scores below the acceptable federally determined ability-to-benefit assessment score, but has a high school diploma or GED, may be enrolled by a two-year or four-year institution of higher education only in a specific program approved by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board in collaboration with the institutions of higher education until the student can demonstrate academic proficiency that would predict success in a degree program.
(2) The Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall provide approved assessment tools and acceptable scores through Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board policy.
(g) This section does not prevent an institution of higher education from setting higher admissions standards for enrolling freshmen.