Topeka ? Kansas University’s Lawrence campus may have to give up $9.4 million in state funding over the next two years, with most of that money being shifted to its medical school to increase the number of doctors who practice in rural areas.

A budget subcommittee of the Kansas Senate recommended those moves Wednesday. The full Senate Ways and Means Committee will consider the proposal Thursday.

“I think it’s a very good use of our dollars to expand that medical infrastructure, that student load, so we can have more doctors,” said Sen. Tom Arpke, R-Salina, who chairs the subcommittee. “I’ve talked to the dean. They want to take their medical school in Wichita from 27 to 65 medical students per year. And I think that will just barely meet our need of the doctors who are going to retire in the next 10 or 15 years.”

But KU officials said they were dismayed by the move and predicted it would have a negative impact on both the main campus and the medical school.

“More than half our students come from Lawrence,” said Doug Girod, executive vice chancellor of the medical school. “Anything that we do that damages that damages us, because we’re all one institution.”

The funding shifts proposed Wednesday represent changes to Gov. Sam Brownback’s budget recommendation for each of the next two fiscal years. In his original budget proposal, Brownback called for $138 million in general fund support for the KU Lawrence campus in fiscal year 2016 and $141 million in fiscal year 2017.

On Wednesday, the subcommittee voted to cut the governor’s recommendation for the Lawrence campus by $4.7 million in each of those two years. But for the medical school, it voted to add $3.7 million each year to fund expansion of the Wichita medical campus and $1 million each year to increase funding for the Medical School Scholarships and Loan fund.

KU wasn’t the only Regents university targeted for cuts by the subcommittee. The panel also voted to cut $4.2 million over two years from Kansas State University’s general operating fund.

But the panel voted to add $30 million to Fort Hays State University’s budget to fund a new Institute of Applied Technology and parking lot, while adding $2 million for Pittsburg State University’s School of Transportation.

“It seems like a targeted hit, and not surprisingly the University of Kansas takes the biggest hit,” said Sen. Laura Kelly, D-Topeka.

KU spokesman Tim Caboni said the cuts, if approved, could threaten a number of ongoing programs at the university, including much of the research conducted by faculty.

“We understand it’s a difficult budget year, but shifting funds around between institutions doesn’t do anybody any good,” he said.

Kansas Board of Regents chairman Kenny Wilk also criticized the proposal.

“Several months ago our Board took a position against the reallocation of funds within the Governor’s Recommended Budget appropriations to the higher education system,” Wilk said in a statement released late Wednesday. “Obviously, we are disappointed with the recommendations announced today. The cuts to the University of Kansas Main Campus and Kansas State University are hurtful to students and damaging to the strategic plans of these institutions.”

But Arpke defended the cuts, saying the training of doctors to work in under-served rural areas should be a higher priority for the state.

“This is a benefit for Kansas families that live in rural communities,” Arpke said. “And when I do votes, I have to vote for all of Kansas.”