The Kansas Board of Regents has approved tuition increases at public universities that will have some students paying nearly 9 percent more this fall.
The increases approved Wednesday by the board are expected to raise an additional $34 million during the fiscal year beginning in July. The universities want to boost faculty salaries and pursue other initiatives, but the increases in tuition also would partially offset cuts in state funding enacted by legislators.
Out-of-state graduate students at Pittsburg State University would see the biggest increase at 8.8 percent. The smallest increase, 3 percent, would be for out-of-state veterinary medical students at Kansas State University.
Despite approving tuition increases Wednesday, the Board of Regents may also try to press lawmakers to undo cuts to higher education.
The regents' agenda Thursday includes proposals for restoring most of the funding lawmakers cut for education.
Lawmakers approved 44 million dollars in budget cuts over the next two fiscal years. The bulk of those cuts come from public university budgets.
The tuition increases regents approved Wednesday will offset only some of the cuts that lawmakers approved.