Editor’s note April 21, 2026: A previous version of the story stated that Wichita State plans to request a 4% increase in tuition rates. The university is considering a 4-5% increase. It has also been updated to accurately refer to Shelly Coleman-Martins, WSU’s vice president of strategic communications and marketing.
Editor’s note April 20, 2026: This story has been updated to correct information about state funding cuts and Wichita State’s debt. Wichita State’s state funding was cut by around 3.5%. The university’s $235.9 million is not from fiscal year 2026 alone, but the cumulative debt as of FY 2026.
Wichita State will likely increase tuition to address numerous financial challenges at the university.
WSU Chief Financial Officer David Miller said the university will seek a 4-5% increase, after WSU’s state funding was cut by around 3.5%. To increase tuition, WSU must send a request to the Kansas Board of Regents in May.
“You know, we don’t know what the next year is going to give us; there’s a potential,” said Lyndsay Pletcher, executive director of budget. “It really just depends on what happens in the next fiscal year to set us up for fiscal year 2028.”
WSU President Richard Muma said in an announcement earlier this year that the focus must remain on long-term growth and investment initiatives. Miller announced in March that WSU’s investments — especially in multiple building projects — are a big driver of WSU’s $235.9 million in debt as of fiscal year 2026.
Various programs are being reviewed to determine where cuts may be possible, Pletcher said.
“The provost office is always kind of watching program evaluations, paying attention to the programs that are more successful versus other things we might need to tweak and make a little more efficient,” Pletcher said.
Program evaluations identify how each program is meeting certain criteria. This process resulted in women’s studies, physics, geology, philosophy and forensic science being looked into further.
Financial considerations include market and student demand, cost effectiveness and return on investment. If these considerations are not meeting expectations, they could be met with restructuring efforts to align with the university’s financial priorities.
WSU may consider making changes to align programs with long-term financial goals, Pletcher said.
WSU’s Vice President of Strategic Communications and Marketing, Shelly Coleman-Martins, said efforts are being made to keep faculty and staff informed of WSU’s financial needs.
“We do university communications to make sure everyone understands the constraints we’re in,” Coleman-Martins said. “We’re doing some cost-cutting measures, and nothing’s off the table.”
What got us here
Muma said an anticipated 7% budget reduction for WSU would likely result in workforce reductions. This budget prediction was based on decreased state funding and lower international enrollment.
The Kansas Legislature cut base operations funding for public research universities in the state by 2.5%, including WSU, the University of Kansas and Kansas State University.
The state house originally planned to implement funding cuts to universities and place a cap on tuition rates, but that cap was not in the finalized version of the state budget.
President Muma also cited state and federal actions — and a decline in international enrollment — as top factors causing budget issues in an announcement last year.
Muma originally announced a possible 3% budget reduction; it was later updated to 7%.
What’s next
WSU and other KBOR institutions will report on their financials and can request tuition increases for next year in May.
Last year, Wichita State and four other public universities requested a tuition increase.
The Kansas Board of Regents will decide on the universities’ proposed tuition rates in June.
