Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has challenged state universities to create a bargain bachelor’s degree. During his State of the State address this week, he imagined a four-year degree for just $15,000. The Kansas Regents say probably the only way to hit that price point is by combining two years at a community college with two years at a four-year university. Republican State Senator Ed Berger, who was president of Hutchinson Community College, is skeptical.
The Regents say that $15,000 does not include room and board. And the bargain wouldn’t be for just any degree. The governor’s budget indicates Brownback wants the program to target high-demand jobs. Brownback wants to set aside 50 state-funded scholarships for the first state university in Kansas to meet this challenge.
