Regents approve KU tuition increase / LJWorld.com

Archive for Thursday, June 12, 2008

June 12, 2008, 11:14 a.m. Updated June 13, 2008, 12:00 a.m.

Tuition costs to go up

The Kansas Board of Regents approved tuition increases for the state's six universities. Enlarge video

Hemenway asked about tuition increase

Kansas University Chancellor Robert Hemenway talks about discussion by the Kansas Board of Regents concerning KU's tuition increase.

In the past five years, tuition at Kansas University has doubled. It's gone up far faster than inflation, income and even the housing market. The LJWorld takes you beyond the numbers as it looks at the students and parents who have to pay for school and the professors that are made possible through the increases.

Topeka — The state Board of Regents on Thursday approved tuition and fee increases at Kansas University and other public colleges, but several regents said they feared students were being priced out of an education.

For KU, the incoming freshman class will see a 7.6-percent increase in the tuition compact rate. Under KU's 1-year-old tuition system, each group of freshmen will see a new increase that will remain locked in for four years.

For non-compact students - juniors, seniors, transfer students and graduate students - tuition will increase 6 percent, according to the regents action.

The increases take effect this fall.

Students at the KU Lawrence campus seemed resigned to the increases.

"The school will need more money," said Jenny Mohwinkle, a senior from Topeka. "The tuition will be raised at some point. It's a necessary evil."

Marla Gerber of Ingalls, who is the parent of a KU graduate, a KU senior, and a son who will start at KU in January, said the increases were probably warranted. "We pay dearly, but we feel it's worth it," she said.

Combined with fee increases, the tuition compact rate represents an 8.1-percent increase, according to the regents. KU officials say the increase is smaller - 6.7 percent - because fees will increase for last year's group of freshmen, thus reducing the gap between what the two groups will pay.

For non-compact KU students, the combined tuition and fee increase is 6.7 percent for resident students and 6.3 percent for non-residents.

Bottom line - incoming freshmen who are Kansas residents will pay $3,862 per semester, which is $244 more than last year's group of freshmen. Non-compact, resident undergraduates will pay $3,520.85, which is a $221 increase.

Increases at other regents schools were in a similar range, including 6.3 percent for resident undergraduates at Kansas State University; 5.8 percent at Wichita State; 5.3 percent at Emporia State; 6.5 percent at Pittsburg State; and 5.5 percent at Fort Hays State.

Approval of the costs followed a long discussion.

Several regents spoke against the increases, saying they would prevent talented Kansas students from attending college.

"We cannot take the public out of public education," said Gary Sherrer of Overland Park. "At what point do we say enough is enough?" asked Janie "Juana" Perkins of Garden City.

But others said they were forced to shift the cost to students and parents because the Legislature has reduced the state's share of funding higher education.

Even so, Sherrer argued, because of bad economic times, it would have sent a reassuring signal to Kansas families "to take a breather" on tuition increases. From 2002 through 2006, the regents approved double-digit increases each year as a strategy to improve schools and faculty salaries.

Chairwoman Christine Downey-Schmidt of Inman said she hadn't seen evidence that students were being prevented from attending a regents school because of the increasing cost of tuition. She said more study needed to be done on the effect of recent tuition increases, and the reasons for rocketing student debt.

And other regents said the schools were aggressively providing scholarship funds to those who need it.

Only Sherrer voted against all the increases, while Perkins and Donna Shank of Liberal joined him in voting against the KU increases.

KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway acknowledged the regents' concerns.

"The board is sending the proper signal, we've got to find a way to better fund higher education in Kansas," Hemenway said. Even so, he argued, KU costs remain in the middle of the pack of Big 12 schools and in the lower portion of peer universities across the country.

Discussion

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12 June 2008
at 11:39 a.m.

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consumer1 (Anonymous) says…

Of course they increased it, they are incapalble of operating within their budge so they tap the cash cow “AGAIN”>>>
12 June 2008
at 11:42 a.m.

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TheOriginalCA (Anonymous) says…

The KS governor wants to be VP for the same man who claims to want to make college more affordable. If the KS governor wants to make a statement, she will put a stop to the increase. She will ignore this just like she defaulted in her role as KS Ins Commish.
12 June 2008
at 11:51 a.m.

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Weezy_Jefferson (Anonymous) says…

Tuition increases are always, always, always approved. Why go through the whole facade of putting the issue to a vote?
12 June 2008
at 12:01 p.m.

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dirkleisure (Anonymous) says…

“We cannot take the public out of public education,” said Gary Sherrer.And when did the spike in tuition rates begin? During Bill Graves' second term in office. What was the overwhelming factor? A reduction in the Governor's budget from the traditional percentages of state support . Who blocked any attempts to maintain the historic balance between tuition and support from the state budget? Governor Graves and his Republican supporters.Who was his Lt. Governor and always his most vocal supporter in the press and with lawmakers? Gary Sherrer.
12 June 2008
at 12:06 p.m.

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littlejohnny (Anonymous) says…

Tuition increase is necessary to push KU toward top 25 among public universities. But some departments have some lazy professors sitting on tenure and do no research. Squeezing money out of Kansas families and allocating portion of increased revenue for those idlers' pay raises are extremely unfair to all Kansas families, current students and hard-working professors.Maybe KU should revise the reward system or even eliminate tenure to re-emphasize teaching, not only maintain the pressure for publication but require faculty to subordinate their teaching to the quest for external funding.
12 June 2008
at 12:15 p.m.

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jumpin_catfish (Anonymous) says…

For non-trust fund students, if you really want and or need higher education you can find a way to get. But with that said what would be wrong with a real top to bottom audit of the regent schools in our state? You would think that with all those PHds over there they could find so many ways to save and operate at a higher level. They always seem to have the answers for societies many problems, maybe they should be tasked to solve some of their own issues.
12 June 2008
at 12:24 p.m.

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Solomon (Anonymous) says…

“They always seem to have the answers for societies many problems, maybe they should be tasked to solve some of their own issues.”Amen, brother.

12 June 2008
at 12:31 p.m.

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Solomon (Anonymous) says…

Starbucks wrote: “wah wah wah wah wahlet's start paying professors the way KUAD pays coaches.professors bring in much more money to the university collectively.”I believe you'll find that KU does pay coaches and professors the same. The last I knew Bill Self made about $130K from KU. The coaches' additional income comes from the KU Athletic Corporation, camps, TV shows, etc. (Some) Professors earn additional money through grants, consulting, and, perhaps, directorships. Professors are protected by tenure, too; how much is that worth?
12 June 2008
at 12:56 p.m.

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karl_rubis (Karl Rubis) says…

Solomon, are you seriously trying to defend the pay for professors as equitable with coaches! I'll believe that when they take a pay cut to around 50K year and give up all the other income made running camps, etc… Let's not begin to talk about the state of pay for graduate students who live on pay which puts them below the poverty level, on which they have to support their family! The faculty and students will see no impact of this additional money!!!
12 June 2008
at 1:10 p.m.

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janeyb (Anonymous) says…

One more semester and I will never have to give KU another dime. By the time I have children they will attend virtual college and other than maybe medical and engineering careers there won't be a need for a campus. Probably won't be a need for chancellors or basketball coaches either.
12 June 2008
at 1:17 p.m.

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Confrontation (Anonymous) says…

When any “one” professor brings in the same money that “one” Bill Self brought in, then you'll have an argument. Can't wait to see a professor teach a class so well that it brings in millions of dollars worth of extra sales tax to the city.
12 June 2008
at 1:42 p.m.

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just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (Anonymous) says…

As “globalization” accelerates the race to the bottom, much of the US will begin to resemble the third world, so we'll have much less need for college graduates. This is just consistent with the facts of the not-too-distant future, which include that a university education will be available only to the wealthy.
12 June 2008
at 1:44 p.m.

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Phillbert (Anonymous) says…

Bill Self and the other coaches aren't paid with tax or tuition dollars. It is all from Athletics.
12 June 2008
at 2:21 p.m.

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volunteer (Anonymous) says…

Most folks I know who attended KU loved it and thought it was well worth the cost. I do appreciate, however, some Regents expressing concern about the high tuition increases. Finally, I agree with the many posters who comment we should be more skeptical of Administrative expenses than faculty salaries.And please, Mr. Chancellor, no more greeting of the students as “party animals.”
12 June 2008
at 2:48 p.m.

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George_Braziller (Anonymous) says…

Thank God I'm not in school right now. I wouldn't even be able to afford a year's worth of tuition. When I was at KU in the early '80s an entire semester's tuition for a full time student was about $650 and text books were around $150.

12 June 2008
at 3:58 p.m.

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kwjayhawk (Anonymous) says…

What the hell ever happened to the tuition freeze proposed?
12 June 2008
at 4:19 p.m.

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samsnewplace (Anonymous) says…

kwjayhawk……exactly! I feel sorry for the up coming generations as they will not be able to afford a college education any longer, they are outpricing themselves. KU is NOT a poor college that needs funding, give me a break here.
12 June 2008
at 4:51 p.m.

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hornhunter (Anonymous) says…

starbucks…. Tuition is just like the fu fu drinks at starbucks well over priced. Why should the out of staters get a some what lower tuition rate then in state kids?starbuck, go suck down another latte
12 June 2008
at 5:19 p.m.

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janeyb (Anonymous) says…

I've met kids from other states (California comes to mind) who came to KU because they can pay out-of-state tuition and live in a dorm here cheaper than they can live at home and attend school there. Seems like most of them have a Kansas tie as a parent or grandparent who grew up in Kansas. They didn't pick KU because it is world renowned or anything. The increases hurt the in-state kids and KU's main draw will always be Kansas kids.
12 June 2008
at 6:21 p.m.

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konzahawk (Anonymous) says…

KU is dirt cheap compared to its peers. Until we can finally have a AAU-type admissions policy, a higher price tag might discourage unqualified applicants from enrolling. These people have no business attending KU and are wasting the money of both the state and their parents.
13 June 2008
at 9:16 a.m.

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jafs (Anonymous) says…

According to the article, KU tuition is in the middle for state schools.Is KU in the middle as well, academically speaking?
13 June 2008
at 10:08 a.m.

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littlejohnny (Anonymous) says…

Resident tuition for two semesters at KU: $7,724CU-Boulder for two semesters: $6,635But CU-Boulder is far better than KU academically.
13 June 2008
at 1:34 p.m.

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KSA_21_3503 (Anonymous) says…

“KU is dirt cheap compared to its peers. Until we can finally have a AAU-type admissions policy, a higher price tag might discourage unqualified applicants from enrolling. These people have no business attending KU and are wasting the money of both the state and their parents.”Exactly. Raise tuition. Either you can afford it, thus benefiting the university by supplying more money, or you are qualified to earn a scholarship, negating any tuition increase effect on you. There is no good reason NOT to raise tuition. Unless, of course, you want to continue to decline in the rankings.

13 June 2008
at 4:13 p.m.

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maxcrabb (Anonymous) says…

So people don't go to college to become more intelligent, just to prove they allready are by getting a piece of paper?Hell, why not skip the whole 4 year process, and just allow kids to buy the damn degree upfront.4*3,862=$15,448Oh, wait. Lets add rent for 4 years…12 (months in a year)*300 (a very kind number)=$3,6003,600*4=$14,400How about utilities?12*$150=$1,8001800*4=$7,200Who's gonna cover groceries? Oh, and gas for the car (unless your biking or hoofing it)? Books? Medical needs? And don't even get me started on the binge drinking!Well, it looks like we're somewhere above $30,000.Now raise your hand if you paid all your tuition in cash upfront… no? Oh, right, student loans. How could I forget? So lets add interest and compare that to the average starting wage for a liberal arts degree and… well, to be honest, i'm getting sick to my stomach…
13 June 2008
at 4:47 p.m.

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not_holroyd (Anonymous) says…

What would Hawk do without a University to bash?Maybe cash in and sell a property on 1200 block of Louisiana for outrageous speculation price as others are doing, taking advantage of the location close to the University one always bashes.I think we should tax such property in arrears for undervalued tax payments. Reach back 10 years or so.
13 June 2008
at 4:55 p.m.

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ffc101 (Anonymous) says…

It seems like right after I graduated they started hiking up the fees left and right. Glad I'm not still going to school, but I feel bad for the one's who are.
13 June 2008
at 6:21 p.m.

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Eurekahwk (Anonymous) says…

Unfortunately, a degree from KU is not worth as much as the tuition increases that it is seeing. With the emphasis on a college education, the market is saturated with college graduates who exceed the demand for jobs. And where I live, locals see a degree from Butler County Community College as being just as good. Thus, a community college student will more likely be given opportunity. In the future, you will see more kids opting not to go to these regent schools. They will just start going to community colleges and technical schools.
13 June 2008
at 6:33 p.m.

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KSA_21_3503 (Anonymous) says…

“but I feel bad for the one's who are.”I guess they don't teach English at KU. Way to represent your alma mater and add value to your degree.