14 June 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT)- The Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) approved a plan to increase university tuition rates by at least 5% for undergraduate students this fall. The majority of board members voted for the increase in a meeting Wednesday.
Kansas Capitol Bureau spoke with KBOR Chair Jon Rolph, who said the increase is “primarily driven” by inflation. Rolph said universities are “feeling the pinch.”
“We’ve tried to tackle this from a lot of different angles… and the state is investing more in scholarships and availability,” Rolph said. “So, this is just one area where we’re trying to tackle the issues of internal inflation that we’re facing to try and keep it as affordable as possible for students.”
The changes apply to in-state and out-of-state tuition costs. Universities like Kansas State University and the University of Kansas are on the list of schools taking on a 5% increase.
One of the outliers includes Wichita State University, which will have a 5.9% increase. Fort Hays State University will receive a 7% hike.
The changes will amount to a few hundred dollars extra in tuition, depending on where students enroll.
Universities kept tuition rates flat last year. This year runs the risk of budget cuts for some schools if changes aren’t made. University leaders say they’re trying to “break even.”
Rolph said the changes will ensure that universities are able to continue providing much needed services to students.
“We want to make sure we’re attracting the best faculty…we want to make sure we’re paying our staff right, and we want to make sure we’re delivering an excellent experience,” Rolph said.
For a full list of tuition rate increases, click here.