Kansas TEA asks legislature to add $8.9 million to fully fund community and technical college cost model

The Technical Education Authority presented a detailed review of the state aid cost model and asked the legislature to add funding to cover the full calculated state share for community and technical colleges.

Vice President Frisbie told members the calculation breaks institutional costs into instructor, instructional support, institutional support and extraordinary cost elements and that the formula apportions revenue differently for in‑district community college students, out‑of‑district students, and technical college students. Using AY2025 data, staff reported totals of credit hours and the resulting state aid calculations. Frisbie said fully funding the model for fiscal year 2027 would require an additional $5.3 million for tiered courses and about $3.6 million for non‑tiered courses above the current appropriation.

Frisbie and staff emphasized the board’s role in educating legislators about priorities as the legislature moves quickly during the session. Board members and college representatives asked clarifying questions about the three‑year rolling average used in the calculation, the outsized share represented by Johnson County Community College in totals, and how high‑school dual‑enrollment volumes affect the model. Frisbie noted the governor’s budget included partial amounts and that the board would advocate for full funding.

The authority did not cast a roll‑call vote on the budget ask in this meeting; staff said the numbers will guide the board’s legislative outreach in the coming weeks. The authority’s materials direct members and staff to the issue paper and system data tools for county‑ and institution‑level details.

The TEA will continue tracking budget committee hearings and bills that affect Promise scholarship reappropriations and tiered/non‑tiered funding decisions.