Kansas Board of Regents and university presidents outline FY2026 requests: student affordability, cybersecurity, K‑State 105, veterinary funding among top asks

Kansas Board of Regents staff and the presidents of the state’s public universities presented detailed FY2026 budget requests and system priorities to the Senate Ways and Means committee after the committee completed preliminary amendment votes on HB 2,007.

Brianna Horton, fiscal analyst for higher education in the legislative staff, gave an overview of the Regents’ portion of HB 2,007 and listed the Board’s supplemental and enhancement requests. Horton said the Board’s FY 2026 enhancement package includes a major student affordability request and a set of capital and operating initiatives. "The agency requests $90,100,000 SGF for KBOR student affordability," Horton said, and she outlined the proposed allocation: $46,000,000 for system‑wide cost increases; $27,500,000 for the SGF pay plan increase; $14,400,000 for need‑based aid; $1,800,000 for market pay adjustments at Washburn University; and $200,000 for open educational resources.

Horton also summarized other Regents requests included as enhancements or supplemental items: $10,000,000 for IT and cybersecurity, $10,000,000 for continued investment in two‑year colleges, $6,400,000 for the NIST playbook (student success playbooks), $11,700,000 for…