Volume 41 - Issue 46 - November 17, 2022
State of Kansas
Board of Regents
Notice of Hearing on Proposed Administrative Regulations
The Kansas Board of Regents will conduct a public hearing to consider proposed new regulations K.A.R. 88-9a-1, 88-9a-2, 88-9a-3, 88-9a-4, 88-9a-5, 88-9a-6, and 88-9a-7. The hearing will be held at 10:00 a.m. January 17, 2023, in the Kansas Board of Regents Board Room, 1000 SW Jackson St., Suite 520, Topeka, KS 66612.
This 60-day notice of the public hearing shall constitute a public comment period for receiving written public comments on the proposed new regulations. All interested parties may submit comments prior to the hearing to Renee Burlingham at the Kansas Board of Regents’ above address, at 785-430-4239 or via email to rburlingham@ksbor.org. All interested parties will be given a reasonable opportunity to present their views orally on the proposed regulations during the hearing. To provide all parties with an opportunity to present their views, it may be necessary to request each participant limit any oral presentation to five minutes.
Any individual with a disability may request accommodation in order to participate in the public hearing and may request the proposed regulations and economic impact statement in an accessible format. Requests for accommodation to participate in the hearing should be made at least five working days in advance of the hearing by contacting Renee Burlingham through the contact information listed above. Individuals with hearing and/or speech disabilities may contact the Kansas Relay Center at 800-766-3777 for communication accommodations.
Copies of the proposed regulations and the economic impact statement may be found at http://www.kansasregents.org/about/rules-regulations or by contacting Renee Burlingham.
A summary of the proposed regulations and the economic impact statement of the regulations follows:
The 2021 Legislature established a new service scholarship program for students enrolled in eligible programs at any Kansas community college, technical college, the Washburn Institute of Technology, or certain private postsecondary institutions, 35 institutions in all. The legislation requires, with certain exceptions, that each student receiving these scholarship dollars agree to reside and work in Kansas for two years following completion of their Promise Act eligible program. $10,000,000 was appropriated to the Board to fund this scholarship in each of Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023. The legislation anticipates another $10,000,000 to fund future Fiscal Years of the scholarship at that $10,000,000 amount.
These regulations: 1) provide definitions of key terms not defined by the statute; 2) set forth the process to apply for a Promise scholarship and appeal a denial or revocation of a Promise scholarship; 3) set forth the terms to be included in a Promise scholarship agreement and the requirements for successful completion of, postponement of, or release from the service obligation; and 4) establish the process for repayment of any Promise scholarship when the service or other requirements are not met or forgiven.
There is no anticipated economic impact on specific businesses, sectors, public utility ratepayers, or local governments as this Act/regulations do not affect those entities directly. The students who qualify for a scholarship under this program and who successfully complete an eligible educational program and their two-year service requirement will greatly benefit from it financially as it will pay for tuition, required fees, books, and required materials for the Promise eligible program selected by the student. Students who are unable to meet or be excused from the service obligation attached to the scholarship will be responsible for repayment of the scholarship plus interest at the federal PLUS program rate (currently 7.54%). The qualified public higher education institutions at which these individuals choose to enroll will award the scholarships and be reimbursed by funds appropriated by the Legislature for this purpose. Individuals affected by the regulations will benefit financially from receiving a scholarship, the value of which will vary according to the student’s individual calculated financial need and cost of the program. Kansas businesses will benefit to the extent additional trained individuals remain in Kansas communities to work after completion of their programs. The regulations, in and of themselves, will have no direct effect, as the regulations simply stipulate how the Board of Regents and the participating institutions shall implement the Kansas Promise Scholarship Act.
There will be no direct economic impact on other public agencies or private businesses as a result of these regulations. The regulations will neither enhance nor restrict business activities and growth other than as discussed previously in this section.
Blake Flanders
President and CEO
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