Topeka — The cost of going to Kansas University next year will likely go up again.
In the wake of budget cuts to higher education, approved by the Kansas Legislature, officials on Thursday unveiled tuition increase proposals.
The figures are for a resident undergraduate taking 15 hours of coursework.
At KU, the proposal would increase tuition and fees for incoming freshmen by 4.4 percent, from $4,839 to $5,053 or $214.55 per semester.
At KU Med, it would increase 7.64 percent, or $317.74 from $4,158.10 to $4,475.84.
The increase for the Lawrence campus will generate $7.8 million. Approximately $5.2 million will be used to provide a merit pool to retain outstanding faculty and staff.
At the KU Medical Center, the proposed increase will generate $1.76 million and be used to cover increases for faculty promotion, tenure, fringe benefit rate increases, increases in utility costs and to cover budget cuts.
In a statement, KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little said the proposed increases struck a balance between recruiting talented students and staff, and providing an excellent and affordable education.
The Kansas Board of Regents will approve tuition rates this summer.
The proposed tuition and fee increases included 2.96 percent at Fort Hays State; 6.5 percent at Emporia State; 6.7 percent at Kansas State and 7.5 percent at Pittsburg State.
Comments
mdlund0 4 years, 4 months ago
Shoot for the stars... you might hit the moon.
gr 4 years, 4 months ago
"In the wake of budget cuts to higher education, approved by the Kansas Legislature,"
So if legislature wanted to cut the budget, why is KU and other universities defeating it? They need to cut their budget as was the intent of the legislature.
Thinking_Out_Loud 4 years, 4 months ago
I am skeptical, gr, that the regents cutting their budgets was the legislature's "intent." My more cynical side suspects the legislature knew that the regents would raise tuition. Why do I think that? The legislators were specific enough about their intent to tell the universities what not to do: salary caps, KU can't cut students or programs, etc.... I believe that if the legislator didn't want the regents to raise tuition and fees, the law would have prohibited a rate increase, too.
nominalize 4 years, 4 months ago
The legislature didn't want to cut the budget; the legislature wanted to pass the cost of the state's university from the state to the students, even though it's the entire state that benefits from building and maintaining the institution (it's not the "University of Tuition-paying students", after all).
As for why the university would want to make up for the loss in state funding... well, it's called competition in a free market: If a team doesn't pay for talent, the talent will go to a team that can pay. Read up on the Miami Marlins if you want a more obvious example, since the results there are immediate and published in every day's sports pages. Now that the economy is picking back up in the areas that affect university budgets (tax revenues are up, endowments are growing again), while KU cuts, other schools will grow, and leave Kansas in the dust.
It's the state's university--- your university--- and its quality depends on you. If you're not willing to pony up for the quality, you can't expect to get it.
conlawgrad 4 years, 4 months ago
This is one of the reasons I refuse to give money to KU. I'm tired of my alma mater raising tuition year after year (as they did when I was in school) and just making ridiculous excuses for raising tuition (i.e. budget being cut and having education loans more accessible to students) and not being accountable. If and when the university decides to put students first and give them a quality public education at a reasonable cost, I will reconsider giving them money.
NewKansan 4 years, 4 months ago
I think you'd be disappointed no matter where you went. Most universities increase tuition rates either every year or couple of years. KU is more more affordable than many other state schools.
Plus, what do you expect them to do after the budget cuts?
Miles Nease 4 years, 4 months ago
Why did KU propose such a low increase? A KU degree is worth far more than one from KSC or Hays. Even with this modest increase, KU would still be one of the least expensive AAU universities in the country.
yourworstnightmare 4 years, 4 months ago
I agree. A much larger tuition hike is warranted. Those who don't want to pay more for a KU education have the choice of paying even more at a public university in another state, or going to KSU, WSU, FHSU, ESU, or PSU.
Thinking_Out_Loud 4 years, 4 months ago
Yup. Thanks, legislators!
question4u 4 years, 4 months ago
University leaders just don't understand the real world. In the real world when businesses have to deal with increased expenses for utilities, equipment, maintenance, new personnel, etc. they don't pass any of the increased costs on to the consumer. They keep their prices fixed and just do without essential utilities, equipment, maintenance, and personnel. They let the quality of their products slip and lose their most effective personnel, but they never increase their prices. Otherwise things would cost more today than they did ten years ago, and everyone knows that's not true. Tuition should stay the same, just like the cost of gasoline, cat food, and Coca-Cola.
When corporations take in less revenue AND have higher expenses, they don't increase the prices of their products. Universities need to learn from corporations. But no, when universities get hit with cuts AND higher costs due to inflation and the costs of new technologies, they raise tuition.
No Kansas business would do that. In the business world, if your revenues are flat or declining for five years in a row and your expenses are going up, you just start lowering your standards and productivity, but you never, ever raise your prices. Right?
JuanValdez 4 years, 4 months ago
Yes, we all learned after the market crash how hard corporation executives have it and how accountable they are for their actions.
JuanValdez 4 years, 4 months ago
Yes, we all learned after the market crash how hard corporation executives have it and how accountable they are for their actions.
Thinking_Out_Loud 4 years, 4 months ago
The counties provide support for the regional Community and Technical Colleges. I believe that Washburn is still a municipal university. Johnson County taxpayers got access to KU and K-State programs locally without having to travel to access them.
yourworstnightmare 4 years, 4 months ago
"The proposed tuition and fee increases included 2.96 percent at Fort Hays State; 6.5 percent at Emporia State; 6.7 percent at Kansas State and 7.5 percent at Pittsburg State."
With the exception of FHSU, all increases are higher than those proposed by KU, including KSU. This is new. Usually KSU ducks behind KU and comes in at a slightly lower percent increase. Not this year.
Jonathan Fox 4 years, 4 months ago
I can't speak for the other regent schools, but here at Pitt State, with this increase, is now no longer a state school but a state assisted school since tuition will now pay over half of the universities expenses. KU on the other hand is only about 25% tuition revenue.
Thinking_Out_Loud 4 years, 4 months ago
I know I'm going to regret answering this without looking up KU's budget...but I think KU's state support is around the 25% range, too. Which means half of its budget is coming from other sources--grants among them.
By definition both are still state schools. However, to your "state-assisted" point, I am under the impression that all the state schools are similarly underfunded. The legislature wants to "protect Kansas families" from usurious tuition rates by the universities, but also wants to cut state funding to all the universities. And don't unbuckle your seatbelt...I have a feeling we haven't hit rock-bottom yet.
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