KU tuition proposal balances affordability, quality


LAWRENCE ― Tuition at the University of Kansas would increase 2.5 percent over last year for all students on the standard tuition rate under the university’s 2017-18 tuition proposal presented to the Kansas Board of Regents today.

At KU Medical Center, all students, including medical students, would see tuition rise by 5 percent.

“When we set tuition, we are trying to balance affordability and quality,” said Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little. “We want KU to remain affordable while also ensuring we have the resources to provide students the education and experiences they expect from a flagship research university. I believe we continue to successfully balance these goals as evidenced by the fact we have now had five straight years of freshman class growth and continue to have the highest enrollment of any Regents institution.”

The Board of Regents is expected to vote on state universities' tuition proposals tomorrow. Details on the KU proposal, as well as those of other Regents universities, will be available at kansasregents.org.

On the Lawrence campus, funds raised by the tuition proposal will fund facility operating costs —including utilities, operations, maintenance and servicing new buildings — fringe benefits changes, a required minimum salary adjustment for graduate teaching assistants, and student support. At KU Medical Center, revenue from the tuition increase will fund facility operating costs, fringe benefits changes, the new School of Nursing facility in Salina, and technology infrastructure upgrades.

Proposals at both campuses were developed with direct student involvement, with students serving on the tuition advisory committees that proposed the rates.

Out of the 34 public universities in the Association of American Universities, KU’s undergraduate resident tuition and fees continue to rank in the lower half.

Overall state funding for KU remains below pre-recession levels in both actual and inflation-adjusted dollars. In recent years, state funding has fallen to about 18 percent of KU’s total revenue.

Wed, 06/14/2017

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Joe Monaco

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Joe Monaco

KU Office of Public Affairs

785-864-7100