Kelly calls tuition hikes ‘necessary’ as work continues to keep higher education ‘affordable’

“Everybody has been talking about inflation, and that hits the universities too,” Kelly said. “The cost of their doing business has gone up.”

Kelly also noted that in the five years before fiscal year 2025, each of the six state universities had held tuition steady at least three years. The University of Kansas was the only school to freeze tuition rates four out of the five years, while all six raised tuition in fiscal year 2024. K-State’s tuition went up 5% in 2024 and 1.2% in 2022.

“While I appreciate the fact they were able to hold and did hold tuition flat for the last few years, in order for them to continue on, it was necessary for them to raise the tuition this year,” Kelly said.

Five state universities in Kansas will increase their tuition for the 2025-26 school year by an average of 3.9%. K-State’s jump was the smallest among the five to raise tuition.

The price for full-time K-State students will go up from $5,471 per semester in 2024-25 to $5,611 per semester in 2025-26.

At KU, tuition will go up 5% to $6,141 per semester; at Wichita State University, it will go up 3.9% to $4,841; at Pittsburg State University, it will go up 3% to $4,200; and at Fort Hays State University, it will go up 5.2% to $2,964.

Emporia State University’s tuition will drop 3.4% to $3,547.

Kelly said while most state universities are raising their prices, they’re also keeping students in mind.

“I think people should also know that as they’re doing that, they are looking at ways to reduce their costs, really evaluating the services and programs that they’re offering, to ensure that they’re getting the best bang for the bucks that we do give them, or that they bring in from other sources, in a way that keeps the education that they’re offering affordable and relevant to today’s student,” Kelly said.

Kelly also pointed to work her administration and the state legislature have done to assist students in accessing higher education. That includes expanding student financial aid from $24 million per year to $97 million per year since 2021 and focusing “like a laser” on maintaining tuition prices as much and as often as possible.

Furthermore, she said the state government has nurtured cooperation between K-12 schools and post-secondary institutions to allow high school students to earn certificates to enter the workforce after graduation or take entry-level college courses “so that they can get a year or more under their belt before they matriculate into K-State or KU or Fort Hays or wherever, and you have one year less of college to pay for.”

“We’re looking at all sorts of ways to ensure that post-secondary education, whether it is through our four-year institutions or our two-year institutions, is there, relevant and affordable for students,” Kelly said.