University of Kansas 2021 State Agenda

The University of Kansas joins the Kansas Board of Regents in pursuing two priorities related to the state’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget:

  • provide stable base appropriation to KU in line with last year's appropriated amount
  • renew the Kansas Engineering Initiative Act

These priorities are essential for KU to continue serving Kansas families and driving economic growth in Kansas.

Base Appropriation

Due to the pandemic, KU faces a Fiscal Year 2022 shortfall of $74.6 million. This shortfall is the result of decreased enrollment, as well as the challenges of generating meaningful revenue through traditional sources such as housing, dining, parking and events due to the dedensification of campus.

Given this unprecedented shortfall, KU has no choice but to implement large-scale, painful cost reductions such as furloughs, layoffs, the elimination of academic programs, and the discontinuation of services for Kansas. Any decrease in state funding will deepen the extent of these measures in a way that significantly diminishes KU and impacts Kansas families and industry for years to come.

Kansas Engineering Initiative Act

At the urging of Kansas industry, the 2011 Legislature passed the Kansas Engineering Initiative Act, which provided $3.5 million annually for 10 years to Kansas’ three research universities to increase the number of engineering graduates. The initiative has been a success, with KU, KSU and WSU exceeding the Act’s goal of graduating a combined 1,365 graduates by 2021. Demand for engineering graduates remains strong today, meaning it is essential that the Act be renewed so we can continue meeting industry’s workforce need. Especially given the national recession, now is the ideal time to renew the Act, and the worst time to discontinue it.

Interested in Advocating for Higher Education?

KU students, employees, alumni and supporters are encouraged to join Jayhawks for Higher Education, the university’s higher education advocacy group headed by the KU Alumni Association. Jayhawks for Higher Education members receive updates throughout the legislative session, are notified of legislative events in their area, and are called upon at key moments during the session to contact legislators on behalf of KU.