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.
In Allen County, 23% of our children and 18% of our families, live in poverty, far above the state and national averages of 12%.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income in Allen County is $42,679, compared to the state median level of $57,422, and national rate of $60,293.
