Beginning this summer, Kansas teachers and administrators can get a price break on graduate-level education courses at Kansas University.

KU announced a pilot program through the School of Education that will provide university funds to lower tuition and fees for Pre K-12 educators working at private or public schools in Kansas.

At the Lawrence campus, qualified students can get a $350 reduction per semester for graduate education classes if they take six or more hours, and a $140 reduction if they take a three-hour class. Edwards Campus students can receive a $580 reduction for six or more hours and $260 for three hours.

Altogether, the program could reduce the cost of a master’s program by several thousand dollars, said Rick Ginsberg, KU education school dean.

School officials said the program is meant to make classes more affordable for “educators who have seen stagnant wages or lower incentives due to state budget cuts.”

Ginsberg said marketing data the school has collected shows costs can inhibit some from entering KU’s programs.

Educators interested in learning more about the reduced rates can go to http://soe.ku.edu.