Wichita State seeks more need-based aid, advances dental school planning and highlights research investments

Brianna Horton, budget analyst with the Kansas Legislative Research Department, and Wichita State University President Richard Muma told the Committee on Higher Education Budget that the university is asking for additional ongoing and one-time investment to support student aid, retention and planning for a dental school.

Why it matters: Wichita State described how recent state investments have expanded research and workforce connections in south-central Kansas, but said more ongoing need-based aid and targeted planning money would help the university keep students enrolled and expand health-care training in underserved parts of the state.

Horton, presenting the agency budget summary, noted the FY2025 request shows reappropriations of unspent State General Fund (SGF) dollars — including about $6.2 million earmarked for capital renewal, demolition, aviation research and the Health Science Center — and recurring adjustments such as DEI and student financial aid. She flagged an agency request for roughly 189.2 FTE positions “primarily for research and for the public service program.” Horton said capital projects include the Wichita Biomedical Campus and special-revenue work such as the NIAR (National Institute for Aviation Research) hub for advanced manufacturing.

Muma, identified in testimony as President Richard Muma of Wichita State University, told the committee WSU aims to be “one of the nation's most innovative public urban research universities” and described three priorities: affordability and access, feeding the talent pipeline, and increasing economic prosperity through research. He said prior state investments — about $8 million in need-based aid the university previously received — have helped boost the number of students receiving aid by about 7 percent, roughly 3,047 students in the numbers he cited.

On funding requests, Muma said Wichita State supports a $14 million ongoing increase in need-based aid to reach regional averages and a $6.4 million item to support retention and student-success efforts. He said the university also is asking for $5 million in one-time funds for a feasibility study and early planning for a possible dental school, to be developed in coordination with Fort Hays State University and linked to the Wichita Biomedical Campus health corridor.

Muma described the dental school planning as a multi-site, rural-focused effort intended to train dentists who would practice in underserved areas: “We don't know exactly what that's going to entail,” he said, explaining the feasibility work would define program design, clinic locations and rural clinical training partnerships.

He also discussed research scale and impact: Wichita State reported more than $366 million in research expenditures last year and projected it could exceed $400 million in the coming year; the university said it ranks first nationally in aerospace R&D among universities and highlighted industry-funded engineering work. Regarding the NIAR hub, a committee member asked whether the $42 million listed on the capital page represented a building; Horton deferred to later testimony and Muma said the $42 million is a special-revenue funded hub tied to advanced-manufacturing research.

On workforce and compensation, Muma said the university has invested more than $12 million internally in market-based pay over the last three years but remains about 16 percent below market; he said closing the remaining compensation gap would require roughly $25 million over time (about $7 million for faculty, $18 million for staff) and that WSU has cut about $23 million from its budget over five years.

Oral Health Kansas Executive Director Tanya Brunner appeared as a proponent for the dental-school planning and urged that clinics affiliated with any new dental program be Medicaid providers and include a strong rural focus. Brunner said only about 30 percent of dentists in Kansas accept Medicaid and 41 counties have no Medicaid dental provider.

The committee asked detailed budget questions; Horton said items such as a $23 million decrease in salaries and wages reflected fund-shifts or budget accounting changes and offered to follow up with specific line-item detail.

Muma and WSU did not propose final statutory changes or seek a committee action during the hearing; the presentation and proponent testimony were informational and included specific funding requests the university asked the legislature to consider.

Looking ahead: Committee members indicated they will continue work on WSU’s budget in a subsequent meeting and invited campus representatives to provide more detailed follow-up on line items and the dental feasibility scope.