Fort Hays State College, one of many establishments that dropped utility charges this week.
Don and Melinda Crawford/UCG/Common Pictures Group through Getty Pictures
Greater than 50 faculties and universities in Kansas waived their utility charges this week as a part of a state initiative to enhance accessibility and encourage residents to contemplate postsecondary training.
All six public universities overseen by the Kansas Board of Regents, in addition to 19 neighborhood faculties, the autonomous public Washburn College in Topeka and 21 non-public establishments, participated in this system, which ran for 3 days, from Tuesday to Thursday. Charges for graduate packages weren’t included.
The initiative is a part of a rising motion to waive utility charges, income from which could be pretty meager and which has been discovered to discourage some college students, particularly underrepresented college students, from making use of—a rising concern within the wake of the Supreme Courtroom’s affirmative motion ban.
“The Apply Free Days initiative is a part of the board’s effort to take away limitations to utility and entry for Kansans,” stated James Rolph, chairman of the Board of Regents.
The state is probably going additionally making an attempt to shore up public school–going charges amongst latest highschool graduates, which fell by over 12 p.c between 2014 and 2021, from 55 p.c to 43 p.c. These numbers are even worse for Black and Latino Kansans, solely a couple of third of whom go to school inside a couple of years of graduating highschool.
