A state lawmaker says she plans to propose legislation for the 2026 regular session of the General Assembly that could make it easier for college students to transfer course credits between Kentucky’s public universities.
Rep. Vanessa Grossl, R-Georgetown, said the legislation she is working on would help prevent students from amassing 150 credit hours for a 120-hour degree. It would also allow students to be out in the workforce to fill job vacancies and build their futures more quickly, she said.
Grossl said she wants to work with universities on the proposed legislation. Addressing the issue through state statute would allow the legislature to signal its support for the concept and request progress reports from postsecondary institutions, she said.
“We want this to be something that’s codified so that we stay on track regardless of administration changes,” she said.
Travis Powell, executive vice president and general counsel for the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, says he favors the proposal, called postsecondary credit alignment.
Powell said officials would identify transfer pathways based on student demand, workforce demand and learning commonalities. If an area is highly unique, it probably wouldn’t be included in a pathway because it would be too difficult to be aligned.
“Participation in each transfer pathway would be at the discretion of the institution. You would have each institution at the table to collaborate and develop the actual pathways to see if they would be in alignment,” he stated.
Grossl and Powell said they consider this to be “another tool in the toolbox.”
“It’s a great tool for students who start college already knowing that they want to transfer, and it’s going to help our high school counselors better be able to advise students as they are getting ready to leave high school, already taking dual credit and AP courses,” Grossl said.
Powell noted that two other states have enacted postsecondary credit alignment legislation. He said the changes make the transfer process more transparent and easier for students to navigate.
The 2026 General Assembly session begins Jan. 6.
(Photo: Rep. Vanessa Grossl, R-Georgetown)
By Tom Latek, Kentucky Today
