The Kansas Board of Regents released enrollment figures Thursday for the state’s 36 publicly funded higher education institutions, but the numbers aren’t good. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

Overall, enrollment at Kansas universities, community, and technical colleges is down one percent this fall.

These figures are a part of a more considerable enrollment decline in the past five years that has increased to 9.2% system-wide. In 2017 Pittsburg State University reported having a fall enrollment of 6,907 students; that number has now dwindled to 5,858.

A 15.2% decline over the past five years. Registration from the fall of 2021 to this fall is down 2.6%. These continuing declines are despite a freeze on tuition throughout Kansas and Pittsburg State advertising a flat tuition model that allows full-time students to take additional classes, double major, or graduate early without paying additional fees.

Last year PSU also expanded its Gorilla Advantage program, which enables non-Kansas undergraduate students to pay in-state tuition. The program is available to students in 33 states, including Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, California, and Texas. For 89 9 KRPS, I’m Fred Fletcher-Fierro