The community college districts shall admit all students qualified to complete any one of their programs including general education, transfer, occupational, technical, and terminal, as long as space for effective instruction is available. After entry, the college shall counsel and distribute the students among its programs according to their interests and abilities. Students allowed entry in college transfer programs must have ability and competence similar to that possessed by students admitted to state universities for similar programs. Entry level competence to such college transfer programs may be achieved through successful completion of other preparatory courses offered by the college. If space is not available for all students applying, the community college will accept those best qualified, using rank in class and ability and achievement tests as guides, and shall give preference to students residing in the district unless the district has entered into a contractual agreement for the mutual exchange of students with another community college district, in which case, equal enrollment preference may be granted to students residing in such contracting districts.
     A student who has graduated from high school and has scored within the community college’s accepted range on the ACT or SAT shall not be required to take a high school equivalency test as a prerequisite to admission.