Kansas State University

Members selected for Tuition and Fee Structure Working Group

Submitted by Ethan Erickson

Provost and Senior Vice President April Mason and Vice President for Administration and Finance Cindy Bontrager have formed a working group to review the current tuition and fee structure and the university's tuition and fee assessment (comprehensive fee) schedule.

The objective of the working group is to recommend changes to simplify the university's tuition and fee structure while enhancing the flexibility of individual college or unit's ability to enhance the educational experience of students while maintaining the current revenue streams. The group's charge does not cover the College of Veterinary Medicine, K-State Polytechnic, or international programs tuition and fees.

During conversations with the University Budget Advisory Committee and the Deans Council, it became clear that there is a need for a working group to review the university's current pricing structure and tuition and fee setting process. The working group comprises members from across the campus involved in setting tuition and fee rates or communicating to potential students. The working group members are:

• Ethan Erickson, assistant vice president for Budget Planning, working group chair.
• Lori Goetsch, dean of Libraries.
• Kevin Gwinner, dean of the College of Business Administration.
• Julia Keen, professor, architectural engineering and construction sciences.
• Trenton Kennedy, student representative.
• Emily Lehning, associate vice president for Student Life.
• Sue Maes, dean of K-State Global Campus.
• Amanda Martens, graduate student representative.
• Jessica Van Ranken, president of the Student Governing Association.
• Jim Bach will serve as an ex-officio member of the working group in his capacity as director of financial operations.

The charge of the working group includes:

1. Review of the current university tuition and fee structure.
2. Review of the tuition and fee structure of regional and aspirational peer universities.
3. Review of research related to best practices for university tuition and fee structures.
4. Analysis of alternate tuition and fee structures for possible implementation at the university including but not limited to:

a. Banded or tiered tuition models.
b. Differential tuition at a college, course catalog level, per-term basis, or junior/senior majors.
c. Guaranteed tuition plans.

5. Development of recommendations for revising the university's tuition and fee schedule, which accomplish the following:

a. Maintains or enhances the university's current revenue streams.
b. Simplifies the existing structure.
c. Provides clear guidelines for the units to follow when developing proposals for tuition and/or fees.
d. Preserves the flexibility for individual units to enhance the educational experience of students.
e. Incorporates best practices into the university's tuition and fee schedule.
f. Enhances the marketability of the institution by clearly articulating the cost of attendance to prospective students.
g. Streamlines the internal approval process for tuition and fee proposals.

6. Provide an interim status report by mid-May to the University Budget Advisory Committee and the Tuition and Fees Strategy Committee, Dean's Council and the President's Cabinet.
7. Provide a final report by Oct. 1, 2017.

For more information or any questions, contact Ethan Erickson at eerickson@k-state.edu.