KU News Release

KU officials support bill that aims to recruit out-of-state students to Kansas schools

TOPEKA — As Kansas faces a decline in the number of high school graduates, University of Kansas officials today testified in favor of a bill designed to recruit more students to Kansas universities, such as those who already have ties to the state.

Speaking before the House Higher Education Committee, university and KU Alumni Association officials said that House Bill 2007 would allow the Kansas Board of Regents to consider a range of innovative student recruitment proposals from KU and other state universities by amending a current statute that authorizes a limited program of tuition waivers for graduate students.

“The bill makes it possible for state universities to create incentives to attract a larger number of qualified out-of-state students to Kansas,” said Provost Richard Lariviere. “At KU, we would use those incentives to target out-of-state students who already have a family connection to Kansas and who may be more likely to remain in Kansas after they graduate, thus contributing to the state workforce and our economic future.”

KU officials described how a “Jayhawk Generations Tuition Plan” could be instituted for students whose parents or grandparents graduated from KU and who meet certain academic requirements. Currently, about 450 students admitted to KU each year would be eligible to be Jayhawk Generations students.

Officials emphasized that the program would not reduce tuition for these students below the actual cost of providing their education, meaning their tuition would still be above the current in-state rate. This would ensure Kansas tax dollars would not subsidize out-of-state students.

Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa have similar out-of-state legacy programs, putting KU at a significant competitive disadvantage in recruiting students to Kansas, they said.

Lariviere said the number of Kansas high school graduates has begun a decline that will continue over the next decade and could lower the number of Kansas-educated college graduates entering the state workforce.

In addition to Lariviere, those testifying included Danny Anderson, vice provost for academic affairs; Marlesa Roney, vice provost for student success; and Kevin Corbett, president and CEO of the KU Alumni Association.

The full testimony presented today at the Docking State Office Building is available at the Government Relations Web site.

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The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.