Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s budget plan for the 2026 fiscal year, announced last week, adds around $52 million in funding for higher education. If approved, this would include an increase of $14.4 million for need-based aid for students at four-year universities, including Wichita State University.
“We were hoping for about $300 million in enhancements for a variety of projects,” Zachary Gearhart, WSU’s executive director of government relations, said. “Including our starting a new dental school, as well as some other system-wide requests like IT, market-based compensation, student success and persistence program funding.”
According to Gearhart, about $2.8 million of this would likely go to WSU students “if (the state) split(s) (need-based aid funding) like previous years.”
The governor’s budget recommendations will go to the state legislature, which will ultimately decide the budget for 2026.
A summary of the governor’s budget report can be found here.
WSU students can learn more about need-based aid through the Office of Financial Aid.
