Enrollment at Kansass six universities is down by almost 1%. Of the six Pittsburg State, Emporia, Kansas State, University of Kansas, Fort Hays and Wichita State K-State has been hit hardest, suffering a 3% drop.
Enrollment at K-State is about 22,000. Five years ago, it was bumping 25,000.
According to a study by the Manhattan Mercury, home to KSU, the drop is primarily from students living in rural areas. Allen County students attending KSU is down 33.9%, from 62 to 41 students, in five years time.
Allen County is classified as mostly rural, along with 22 other counties, which altogether account for 21% of K-States decrease in student enrollment. Completely rural counties account for 27% of its decline.
These rates more than double those from urban areas.
The states 19 community colleges are suffering the same fate, down by an average 2.79%, according to the Kansas Board of Regents, the state entity that oversees higher education.
Only technical colleges are seeing an uptick in enrollment, at 2.7%.
Several conclusions come to mind.
Tuition is a deal-breaker.
Over the past 20 years, the price of attending a public university has grown significantly faster than the median income of U.S. households. Tuition today up 36% since that of 1989-90, while the U.S. medium income has grown just 2.1% in the same time period, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Todays average cost to attend a year at a public university is $9,000.
Since the 2008 recession, states have pushed more of the financial burden of that education onto students. Since 2009, state funding to Kansas institutions has plummeted by $69 million, or about 24%, according to Kansas Regents.
Last year, legislators made significant gains by restoring $34 million in base funding for state universities, allowing them to keep tuition rates for 2019-20 flat, for which they are to be commended.
For the upcoming fiscal budget, Regents are asking for an additional $95.3 million in state support, part of which will go toward a new need-based student financial aid program that will leverage private dollars.
THAT RURAL students are opting out of university more so than their urban counterparts points to their earning gaps.
