(FRANKFORT, Ky.) -- The Council on Postsecondary Education approved a resolution today that calls for the General Assembly and Governor to identify sufficient revenue sources to resolve state budget deficits. Under the current proposed budget, the postsecondary and adult education system is facing a 12 percent budget reduction, in addition to the 3 percent cut in the current year.
“A cut of this magnitude would shackle Kentucky’s progress toward the goals of higher education reform legislation, which includes enrolling and graduating more students, expanding research and increasing per capita income,” said Brad Cowgill, interim Council president.
The resolution states the proposed budget cuts will likely result in higher tuition and diminished financial aid, impairing student access and affordability.
“The Council urges our state leaders to recognize education as the long-term solution to many social and economic problems plaguing the Commonwealth, rather than an added financial burden,” said John Turner, chair of the Council. “Sustained, adequate investment in postsecondary and adult education will result in increased revenue, reduced health care costs and less unemployment, and thus improved quality of life for all Kentuckians.”
The Council also heard a presentation on college price and financial aid, which showed that while postsecondary education is a more productive investment than ever before, tuition and other college costs have grown more rapidly than family income. This trend creates concerns about college access for low-income families and increasing levels of student debt.
The presentation, an update of the Council’s 2005 affordability study conducted by JBL Associates, Inc., also showed that the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship and institutional aid are major funding sources students use to pay for college.
“While the study demonstrates that Kentucky students, their educational goals and their financial needs are very diverse, it leads to the conclusion that cuts to funding of KEES or institutional aid would impact students similarly to a tuition increase,” said Cowgill.
In other business today, the Council:
- Adopted a revised tuition policy that outlines the process for approving 2008-09 tuition and mandatory fee rates at Kentucky’s public colleges and universities. The Council will hold tuition hearings prior to the final approval of tuition rates in April.
- Approved new doctoral programs in educational leadership at Eastern Kentucky University, Northern Kentucky University and Western Kentucky University. These new degree programs will help meet the need of the K-12 school districts and the economy in each university’s region.
- Approved a resolution in recognition of the 40-year public service career of Council member Walter Baker, who resigned due to the statutory requirement for Council membership to have proportional representation of the two leading political parties.
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