Enrollment Does Not Equal Eligibility

Whether you are a new student or transferring schools, eligibility to participate in Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) activities depends on meeting all the KSHSAA Eligibility Requirements. The decision to enroll during open enrollment and/or enrolling as a transfer, your student's KSHSAA participation comes with many eligibility questions. Please contact the school's athletic director before beginning the process.   

STUDENTS MUST MEET THE ADOPTED STANDARD OF THE KSHSAA TRANSFER RULE TO BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN KSHSAA ACTIVITIES
PLEASE SEE THE KSHSAA'S FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FROM MAY 2024.

RULE 18 Transfer:

PURPOSE - The purpose of the Transfer Rule is to protect students from being displaced by those who change schools for interscholastic activity reasons. It is devised to eliminate "school shopping" after a student has initially chosen the school of his/her choice.  This avoids transfers when the motivation is for activity purposes and prohibits recruitment.

Note:  In addition to the transfer rule, the student must meet all other rules and regulations, such as "Age", "Scholarship", "Bona Fide Student in Good Standing", etc. 

A student is eligible transfer-wise if:

• BEGINNING SEVENTH GRADER - A seventh grader, at the beginning of his or her seventh grade year, is eligible under the Transfer Rule at any school he or she may choose to attend.  
• ENTERING HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE FIRST TIME - A senior high student is eligible under the Transfer Rule at any senior high school he or she may choose to attend when senior high school is entered for the first time at the beginning of the school year. 
• BONA FIDE MOVE - If a student's parents, or legal guardian in case neither parent is living, make a bona fide move to a new permanent residence in the vicinity of the new school to which the student transfers, the student is then immediately eligible. If the parents' move occurs during the school year, see Sec. 1, Art. 9, for other timing factors. 
  • Guardianship Definition - The term "guardianship," while either parent is living, is not recognized for eligibility purposes. Only those appointed by the courts to a full personal and estate guardianship are recognized if both parents are deceased. 
  • Vicinity Definition - The term "vicinity" is when a student continues to reside with his or her parents and commutes daily to and from school.

A student is ineligible if: 

• CHANGE IN SCHOOL IS MADE WITHOUT AN ACCOMPANYING MOVE ON THE PART OF THE STUDENT'S PARENTS - If students change schools without an accompanying move on the part of their parents, they will be ineligible for interschool extracurricular activities for one calendar year for grades 9-12, eighteen weeks for grades 7-8, beginning with the first day of their attendance. 
• INDEPENDENT STUDENTS - A student who is "on his or her own" and not dependent upon parents or a guardian for a home and who transfers from one school to another, is required to attend one calendar year for grades 9-12, eighteen weeks for grades 7-8 before becoming eligible. 

KSHSAA TRANSFER RULES TO NOTE:

Rule 18 Section 1 Article 9 - Move of Parents to a New School Area 

If a student's parents move to the vicinity of a new school and the student elects to remain at the school in which he or she has been enrolled and attending, the student may do so without affecting his or her eligibility at that school.

If the parents move during the school year and the student wishes to transfer to the school in the vicinity of the new permanent residence, he or she may become eligible immediately under the following conditions:

      a. If the student transfers within ten days of the time of his or her parent's move, the student becomes eligible at once as far as the KSHSAA Transfer Rule is concerned.  

      b. If the student remains until the close of the current semester or until the close of the school year, he or she may become eligible immediately upon enrolling in the new school and attending classes. 

      c. If the student transfers within ten days after the end of an activity season in which he or she competed and which was in progress at the time of the parents' move, the student becomes eligible immediately.  An activity season is interpreted as being "in progress" after a school has been represented in at least one interschool event in that activity. 

NOTE:  If a student does not transfer to the new school within the time span as explained above in a, b, c, the student will remain eligible at the original school but would be ineligible at the new school, unless otherwise approved by the school from which he or she transferred and the KSHSAA Executive Board. 

Rule 18 Section 2: Senior High and Section 3: Middle/Junior High Regulations - Articles 1-2: 

ENTERING HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE FIRST TIME - A senior high student is eligible at any senior high school he or she may choose to attend when senior high is entered for the first time at the beginning of the school year.  BEGINNING SEVENTH GRADER - A seventh grader, at the beginning of his or her seventh grade year, is eligible at any school he or she may choose to attend. 

CHANGING SCHOOLS AFTER INITIAL YEAR - After a student is eligible in his or her initial year of senior high school or seventh grade (or in his or her initial year of middle/junior high school), he or she may not change schools without forfeiting one calendar year for grades 9-12, eighteen weeks for grades 7-8 of eligibility, unless there is a bona fide move on the part of the student's parents to a permanent residence in the vicinity of the new school to which the school transfers.

KSHSAA TRANSFER RULE 18-1-1 REQUIRES PROCESSING A CERTIFICATE OF TRANSFER
FOR ALL TRANSFER STUDENTS:

KSHSAA TRANSFER FORM

KSHSAA requires the processing of a transfer form for all transfer students by the new petitioning school. 
Your student's former school will respond to the following summarized questions on a KSHSAA transfer form:

1. Did the student and his/her parents with whom he/she was residing while attending your school make a bona fide move from their previous residence to a new, permanent residence in the vicinity of the new school he/she is currently attending? Yes or No?
2. Would the student have been eligible for activities if he/she remained in your school? Yes or No? In No, why?
3. As it relates to the KSHSAA Transfer and Undue Influence Rules, does the student qualify for immediate eligibility at his/her new school? Yes or No?
4, Did the student pass five new subjects (not previously passed) in his/her last semester of attendance at your school? Yes or No?
    Note: Students entering 7th or 9th grade are exempt from this academic requirement for the first semester of 7th or 9th grade only.
5. If the student withdrew from your school during the course of a semester, was he/she enrolled and in attendance in at least five new subjects (those not previously passed) at the time of withdrawal? Yes or No?
6. State the number of semesters attended in the following grades:  7th___,8th___, 9th-12th___
7. List the KSHSAA activities the student participated in and the number of seasons or years of participation.
   Note: Participation in any part of a game, contest, activity, etc. constitutes participation for a season in that activity. 
8. Certification by principal/athletic director of former school. 
    Note: the former school has the ability to approve or disapprove of the transfer based on the reasons given to a negative answer to the first four      questions. 

When a student transfers under circumstances which do not meet the terms of the KSHSAA Transfer Rule, he/she may be granted limited eligibility by approval of KSHSAA. Each student's situation is different. Please discuss your situation with the athletic director.  If not approved by KSHSAA, the student is ineligible under the Transfer Rule for one calendar year (high school)/eighteen weeks (middle school) for all activities. 

Summary of Eligibility Requirements
This is a summary of important eligibility requirements.
The complete regulations are published in the official KSHSAA Handbook which is distributed annually and is available at your school.