Kansas State President outlines enrollment rebound, K State 105 impacts and asks for recurring Vet Med funding

President Richard Linton, president of Kansas State University, told the Committee on Higher Education Budget that the university has begun to reverse a roughly 25% drop in enrollment seen earlier in the decade and is seeking recurring and capital support to sustain growth and address workforce needs.

Linton said Kansas State has surpassed 20,000 students for the first time in more than eight years and reported “the strongest growth in student enrollment in over a decade.” He urged continued state support for programs he said drive statewide economic development, and highlighted K State 105, a $5 million-a-year statewide pilot that the university says supported more than 400 jobs and engaged 415 businesses in its first year.

Why it matters: Committee members are weighing recurring and capital funding requests from public universities while preparing recommendations to the Appropriations Committee. Kansas State’s requests include continuation of the K State 105 pilot, a recurring operational augmentation for the College of Veterinary Medicine, and continued support for several large capital projects the university says will support statewide agricultural research and workforce development.

Linton framed K State’s strategy as a “next-generation land-grant university” focused on applied learning, statewide extension work and partnerships with community colleges. He said the K State 105 program directs roughly 90% of its funding into counties and communities and that the university captured a 1:1 match that increased the program’s annual reach to $10.5 million statewide. Jessica Knabb, director of K State 105, told the panel the program uses quarterly reporting and a final survey to validate outcomes, and cited partners such as Network Kansas and local economic-development organizations as conduits for business assistance and entrepreneur support.

On veterinary education, Linton asked the committee to consider a $7.5 million recurring appropriation to the College of Veterinary Medicine to improve operational capacity and competitiveness. He said the college currently enrolls about 60% out-of-state students and 40% in-state students and estimated a near $4 million recurring need to shift that mix so more Kansas students can be trained in state. Linton also said the college is about $12 million below national peer averages in state support; the university is requesting $7.5 million as an initial step.

Linton repeatedly emphasized compensation shortfalls for faculty and staff. “Seventy-two percent of our present faculty are below market compared to our peers,” he told the committee, and he said 67% of staff are similarly below median market levels. He said recent exit interviews linked compensation to retention losses and estimated the university lost 105 faculty over six years who took research funding and talent to other states.

Capital priorities described to the committee include the Ag Innovation/Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation and an ambitious $210 million Ag Innovation initiative the university says is largely funded by philanthropic commitments and state-directed ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) dollars. Linton said the project is roughly $15–17 million short of the goal and that the university seeks bonding authority as a contingency if fundraising does not close the gap. He also described the Bilby Family Event Center (a livestock arena), the Interdisciplinary Science Center, and renovations including Weber and Call Hall; the Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation is projected for completion in August 2026.

Committee members asked for additional detail on enrollment history, K State 105 outcomes, and the business-match math. Linton said the university raised about $200 million in scholarships since he arrived to improve affordability and that K State 105 reported more than 400 jobs created or retained in its first year. Jessica Knabb said the program documents outcomes with quarterly reports and a year-end data-cleaning process.

The presentation included several specific itemized capital numbers cited by KLRD fiscal analyst Brianna Horton: $18.5 million in Educational Building Fund (EBF) for multiple rehabilitation and repair projects; $7.1 million in deferred maintenance from special revenue funds; and an entry noting transfers related to demolition and other state capital renewal investments.

The hearing closed with committee members asking the university to supply follow-up materials on compensation comparisons and detailed fundraising schedules for the Ag Innovation initiative; Linton and staff said they would provide additional information to committee staff.

Linton also invited legislators to a K State Impact Day on Feb. 19 and closed by noting the university’s philanthropic goal to raise $2 billion by 2030, reporting about $771 million raised to date.

Ending: The committee did not take a formal vote on K‑State budget requests during the hearing; staff and university representatives agreed to provide additional documentation on compensation benchmarks, the remaining fundraising gap for Ag Innovation, and detailed county-level impacts of K State 105.