Mike Yoder/Journal-World PhotoKansas’ public colleges and universities are among the most affordable in the country, according to a new study.
But researchers from the Lumina Foundation for Education said no Kansas private university is affordable for low-income traditional students.
“I’d hate for a student to make a decision based on that,” said Jeanne Mott, director of financial aid at Baker University. “Unfortunately, if parents are using it as an evaluation tool, I think they’re going to have a hard time understanding what it means.”
Researchers from the Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation, which attempts to expand access to post-secondary education, analyzed costs and financial aid at more than 2,800 institutions during 1998.
Kansas University was listed as “affordable” for “dependent median-income” students, who are 18 to 23 years old with parents near the 50th percentile of salaries, based on Kansas Census data.
KU ranked as “affordable with loans” for the other three categories of students studied: “dependent low-income” students between 18 and 23 whose parents’ incomes are in the bottom 25 percent; “independent low-income” students, who are between 25 and 34 and whose income is in the bottom 25 percentile; and “independent median-income” students, who are between 25 and 34 and whose income is near the 50th percentile.
Rankings at Kansas State University and Wichita State were a mix of unaffordable, affordable and affordable with loans. All other public four-year universities were either affordable or affordable with loans.
Haskell Indian Nations University and all Kansas community colleges except Seward County Community College were listed as affordable or affordable with loans.
Overall, Kansas ranked 12th in affordability for low-income independent students. When ranking “accessibility” which included the percentage of students admitted compared to those who applied Kansas was seventh for low-income dependent students.
“Students have access to more than 90 percent of public colleges and universities in Kansas,” said Derek Price, the foundation’s director of higher education research and a co-author of the report. “Those are significantly large numbers, and that’s a bright spot.”
KU spokeswoman Lynn Bretz said she thought the study’s findings about KU were consistent with other studies.
“We think any way you slice it, KU is a bargain,” she said. “You can cite the Fiske Guide 2002, Barron’s Best Buys in College Education or other sources.”
But Larry Moeder, director of admissions and financial aid at Kansas State, said he was taking less stock in the report. Kansas State was listed as unaffordable to dependent and independent low-income students, affordable for dependent median-income students and affordable with loans for independent median-income students.
Price said KU awarded about $5,100 each in financial aid to low-income students during the study period, compared to about $3,440 for K-State.
Moeder said more money is available at Kansas State, but parents must ask for loans. KU offers its loans without parents asking, he said.
“It’s just a difference in philosophy,” he said. “Generally, when a student or family is offered financial aid, they’re going to accept it. … That’s where the whole publication is misleading. I understand the purpose for their publication to let legislative bodies know additional assistance is needed to help students go to college. That’s true across the board, across the country.”
Mott, the Baker University official, also was skeptical of the report.
She said her main complaint was that the researchers used the expected family contribution a federal formula that includes income, parents’ age and family size to determine affordability.
“The expected family contribution doesn’t equate to real dollars,” she said. “If the expected family contribution is $1,000, the student is eligible for federal grants. If it’s $5,000, they’re not eligible for federal grants, but it doesn’t mean the family has $4,000 to give just because a national statistical document says they do.”
Mike Yoder/Journal-World PhotoKansas’ public colleges and universities are among the most affordable in the country, according to a new study.
But researchers from the Lumina Foundation for Education said no Kansas private university is affordable for low-income traditional students.
“I’d hate for a student to make a decision based on that,” said Jeanne Mott, director of financial aid at Baker University. “Unfortunately, if parents are using it as an evaluation tool, I think they’re going to have a hard time understanding what it means.”
Researchers from the Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation, which attempts to expand access to post-secondary education, analyzed costs and financial aid at more than 2,800 institutions during 1998.
Kansas University was listed as “affordable” for “dependent median-income” students, who are 18 to 23 years old with parents near the 50th percentile of salaries, based on Kansas Census data.
KU ranked as “affordable with loans” for the other three categories of students studied: “dependent low-income” students between 18 and 23 whose parents’ incomes are in the bottom 25 percent; “independent low-income” students, who are between 25 and 34 and whose income is in the bottom 25 percentile; and “independent median-income” students, who are between 25 and 34 and whose income is near the 50th percentile.
Rankings at Kansas State University and Wichita State were a mix of unaffordable, affordable and affordable with loans. All other public four-year universities were either affordable or affordable with loans.
Haskell Indian Nations University and all Kansas community colleges except Seward County Community College were listed as affordable or affordable with loans.
Overall, Kansas ranked 12th in affordability for low-income independent students. When ranking “accessibility” which included the percentage of students admitted compared to those who applied Kansas was seventh for low-income dependent students.
“Students have access to more than 90 percent of public colleges and universities in Kansas,” said Derek Price, the foundation’s director of higher education research and a co-author of the report. “Those are significantly large numbers, and that’s a bright spot.”
KU spokeswoman Lynn Bretz said she thought the study’s findings about KU were consistent with other studies.
“We think any way you slice it, KU is a bargain,” she said. “You can cite the Fiske Guide 2002, Barron’s Best Buys in College Education or other sources.”
But Larry Moeder, director of admissions and financial aid at Kansas State, said he was taking less stock in the report. Kansas State was listed as unaffordable to dependent and independent low-income students, affordable for dependent median-income students and affordable with loans for independent median-income students.
Price said KU awarded about $5,100 each in financial aid to low-income students during the study period, compared to about $3,440 for K-State.
Moeder said more money is available at Kansas State, but parents must ask for loans. KU offers its loans without parents asking, he said.
“It’s just a difference in philosophy,” he said. “Generally, when a student or family is offered financial aid, they’re going to accept it. … That’s where the whole publication is misleading. I understand the purpose for their publication to let legislative bodies know additional assistance is needed to help students go to college. That’s true across the board, across the country.”
Mott, the Baker University official, also was skeptical of the report.
She said her main complaint was that the researchers used the expected family contribution a federal formula that includes income, parents’ age and family size to determine affordability.
“The expected family contribution doesn’t equate to real dollars,” she said. “If the expected family contribution is $1,000, the student is eligible for federal grants. If it’s $5,000, they’re not eligible for federal grants, but it doesn’t mean the family has $4,000 to give just because a national statistical document says they do.”
Mike Yoder/Journal-World PhotoKansas’ public colleges and universities are among the most affordable in the country, according to a new study.
But researchers from the Lumina Foundation for Education said no Kansas private university is affordable for low-income traditional students.
“I’d hate for a student to make a decision based on that,” said Jeanne Mott, director of financial aid at Baker University. “Unfortunately, if parents are using it as an evaluation tool, I think they’re going to have a hard time understanding what it means.”
Researchers from the Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation, which attempts to expand access to post-secondary education, analyzed costs and financial aid at more than 2,800 institutions during 1998.
Kansas University was listed as “affordable” for “dependent median-income” students, who are 18 to 23 years old with parents near the 50th percentile of salaries, based on Kansas Census data.
KU ranked as “affordable with loans” for the other three categories of students studied: “dependent low-income” students between 18 and 23 whose parents’ incomes are in the bottom 25 percent; “independent low-income” students, who are between 25 and 34 and whose income is in the bottom 25 percentile; and “independent median-income” students, who are between 25 and 34 and whose income is near the 50th percentile.
Rankings at Kansas State University and Wichita State were a mix of unaffordable, affordable and affordable with loans. All other public four-year universities were either affordable or affordable with loans.
Haskell Indian Nations University and all Kansas community colleges except Seward County Community College were listed as affordable or affordable with loans.
Overall, Kansas ranked 12th in affordability for low-income independent students. When ranking “accessibility” which included the percentage of students admitted compared to those who applied Kansas was seventh for low-income dependent students.
“Students have access to more than 90 percent of public colleges and universities in Kansas,” said Derek Price, the foundation’s director of higher education research and a co-author of the report. “Those are significantly large numbers, and that’s a bright spot.”
KU spokeswoman Lynn Bretz said she thought the study’s findings about KU were consistent with other studies.
“We think any way you slice it, KU is a bargain,” she said. “You can cite the Fiske Guide 2002, Barron’s Best Buys in College Education or other sources.”
But Larry Moeder, director of admissions and financial aid at Kansas State, said he was taking less stock in the report. Kansas State was listed as unaffordable to dependent and independent low-income students, affordable for dependent median-income students and affordable with loans for independent median-income students.
Price said KU awarded about $5,100 each in financial aid to low-income students during the study period, compared to about $3,440 for K-State.
Moeder said more money is available at Kansas State, but parents must ask for loans. KU offers its loans without parents asking, he said.
“It’s just a difference in philosophy,” he said. “Generally, when a student or family is offered financial aid, they’re going to accept it. … That’s where the whole publication is misleading. I understand the purpose for their publication to let legislative bodies know additional assistance is needed to help students go to college. That’s true across the board, across the country.”
Mott, the Baker University official, also was skeptical of the report.
She said her main complaint was that the researchers used the expected family contribution a federal formula that includes income, parents’ age and family size to determine affordability.
“The expected family contribution doesn’t equate to real dollars,” she said. “If the expected family contribution is $1,000, the student is eligible for federal grants. If it’s $5,000, they’re not eligible for federal grants, but it doesn’t mean the family has $4,000 to give just because a national statistical document says they do.”
Mike Yoder/Journal-World PhotoKansas’ public colleges and universities are among the most affordable in the country, according to a new study.
But researchers from the Lumina Foundation for Education said no Kansas private university is affordable for low-income traditional students.
“I’d hate for a student to make a decision based on that,” said Jeanne Mott, director of financial aid at Baker University. “Unfortunately, if parents are using it as an evaluation tool, I think they’re going to have a hard time understanding what it means.”
Researchers from the Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation, which attempts to expand access to post-secondary education, analyzed costs and financial aid at more than 2,800 institutions during 1998.
Kansas University was listed as “affordable” for “dependent median-income” students, who are 18 to 23 years old with parents near the 50th percentile of salaries, based on Kansas Census data.
KU ranked as “affordable with loans” for the other three categories of students studied: “dependent low-income” students between 18 and 23 whose parents’ incomes are in the bottom 25 percent; “independent low-income” students, who are between 25 and 34 and whose income is in the bottom 25 percentile; and “independent median-income” students, who are between 25 and 34 and whose income is near the 50th percentile.
Rankings at Kansas State University and Wichita State were a mix of unaffordable, affordable and affordable with loans. All other public four-year universities were either affordable or affordable with loans.
Haskell Indian Nations University and all Kansas community colleges except Seward County Community College were listed as affordable or affordable with loans.
Overall, Kansas ranked 12th in affordability for low-income independent students. When ranking “accessibility” which included the percentage of students admitted compared to those who applied Kansas was seventh for low-income dependent students.
“Students have access to more than 90 percent of public colleges and universities in Kansas,” said Derek Price, the foundation’s director of higher education research and a co-author of the report. “Those are significantly large numbers, and that’s a bright spot.”
KU spokeswoman Lynn Bretz said she thought the study’s findings about KU were consistent with other studies.
“We think any way you slice it, KU is a bargain,” she said. “You can cite the Fiske Guide 2002, Barron’s Best Buys in College Education or other sources.”
But Larry Moeder, director of admissions and financial aid at Kansas State, said he was taking less stock in the report. Kansas State was listed as unaffordable to dependent and independent low-income students, affordable for dependent median-income students and affordable with loans for independent median-income students.
Price said KU awarded about $5,100 each in financial aid to low-income students during the study period, compared to about $3,440 for K-State.
Moeder said more money is available at Kansas State, but parents must ask for loans. KU offers its loans without parents asking, he said.
“It’s just a difference in philosophy,” he said. “Generally, when a student or family is offered financial aid, they’re going to accept it. … That’s where the whole publication is misleading. I understand the purpose for their publication to let legislative bodies know additional assistance is needed to help students go to college. That’s true across the board, across the country.”
Mott, the Baker University official, also was skeptical of the report.
She said her main complaint was that the researchers used the expected family contribution a federal formula that includes income, parents’ age and family size to determine affordability.
“The expected family contribution doesn’t equate to real dollars,” she said. “If the expected family contribution is $1,000, the student is eligible for federal grants. If it’s $5,000, they’re not eligible for federal grants, but it doesn’t mean the family has $4,000 to give just because a national statistical document says they do.”
