Board hears first look at FY2027 appropriations priorities; cybersecurity, student success and research funding highlighted

The Board of Regents Fiscal Affairs and Audit Standing Committee on June 11 received an early preview of institutional requests that will form a FY2027 unified appropriation request and discussed several emerging systemwide priorities.

Vice President Frisbie told members institutions submitted campus-specific items and that recurring and one-time requests were noted in the materials. Committee members and institutional representatives identified cybersecurity and student-success investments as top themes; trustees also discussed restoring the funding levels the legislature committed to under the Campus Restoration Act and addressing under-market pay at several campuses.

Institution speakers said pay gaps are large at some campuses. One speaker said the Lawrence campus faces about a $30,000,000-per-year gap to market pay and the medical center campus a roughly $20,000,000 gap; the speaker said institutions received about $7,000,000 combined from the state toward pay. Committee members raised concerns about enrollment trends and the need to keep college affordable if federal need-based aid (including Pell Grants) is under pressure.

Several university representatives said investments tied to student success are showing measurable returns. A Wichita State representative reported fall-to-fall retention rising from about 73% in 2020–21 to about 76% in 2024 and said ongoing student-success expenses total roughly $733,000; the representative estimated that one percentage point of retention equates to about $400,000 in tuition revenue at that institution. The panel encouraged institutions to document retention and enrollment metrics for the Board’s July budget workshop to support a possible systemwide ask.

Committee members also discussed research funding and competition for faculty. A regent noted Missouri’s recent $100,000,000 investment at the University of Missouri and asked how Kansas institutions can pivot to attract research partners and funding. Institutional representatives said requests for FY2027 will be more targeted to applied areas — energy, big data, cancer and brain health — where partnerships and economic impacts are likelier.

Members reviewed several institution-specific asks mentioned after the agenda publication: Fort Hays State provided additional details on its request; Washburn asked for one-time funding for equipment to support an expansion of Washburn Tech in North Topeka and for consolidation of allied health programs into a single facility; two‑year and technical colleges asked to hold flat funding for tiered and non-tiered course support and for continued funding of Promise Scholarship Act and adult education programs. Technical college operating grants were described in committee materials as previously $10.5 million statewide and reduced to $7,000,000 this year; the transcript described the $7,000,000 figure as the current level.

Vice President Frisbie and Director Bristow said staff will use a common template for the July budget workshop and the late‑July board retreat; universities will bring final Campus Restoration Act plans to the September Board meeting for review and approval. Director Bristow said the Board’s facilities policy will be updated for a first read in September to streamline approval processes and that the system is working to add comprehensive campus infrastructure condition assessments to the facilities database by October 2027.

No committee vote was taken on funding priorities; members asked staff and institutions to refine metrics and targeted requests ahead of the July workshop and the September Board review.