Regents advocate for $85 million restoration for KBOR system 

  Thursday, September 27, 2018 12:30 PM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

 

Pittsburg State would see a $5 million increase in base funding over the next two years if state legislators say “yes” to a budget request approved last week by the Kansas Board of Regents.  

If approved, the system as a whole would see an additional $50 million in fiscal year 2020 and an additional $35 million in fiscal year 2021. 

The funding would restore dollars that legislators cut from the budget during the state’s economic woes of 2009, and aligns with the Regents’ strategic goals of increasing the number of Kansans with a certificate, degree, or other credential, and will help keep higher education affordable for students and their families. 

“This would allow the university to focus on three very critical areas,” said Pittsburg State University President Steve Scott. “Simply put, those three areas are our Kansas workforce, entrepreneurism, and student debt.” 

To expand and enhance the university’s commitment to Kansas workforce development and talent creation, PSU would add capacity to programs that directly address areas of critical shortages, such as nursing and other health care occupations, automotive and diesel technicians, plastics engineering technicians and industrial safety specialists. 

To focus on entrepreneurism, the university would develop and implement a transformational entrepreneurial program by building on the promise of Block22 with something that is cross disciplinary internally, yet rooted in and impactful to the community. 

And to focus on student debt, the university would reduce it and lower the burden of the cost of attending college by increasing opportunities for students to work on campus. This would also partly offset the loss of support caused by recent layoffs. Additionally, the university could accelerate its use of Open Educational Resources (OER) in an effort to dramatically reduce the cost of textbooks and course materials for students.  

The request also includes tuition assistance for National Guard members, full funding for the Excel in Career Technical Education initiative, funding for the postsecondary tiered and non-tiered technical state aid gap, state aid for Washburn University, and funding for additional need-based student financial aid with a private match. 

KBOR will submit its official budget document to the governor and legislature by Oct. 1.