KBOR staff report: regulated private and out-of-state institutions enroll more than 23,000 Kansas students; most awards are certificates

Crystal Puterbaugh reviewed KBOR’s private- and out-of-state-postsecondary oversight and presented FY 2023 sector statistics (July 1, 2022–June 30, 2023). She reminded the committee that KBOR regulates private institutions under the Kansas Private and Out of State Postsecondary Educational Institution Act and that Senate Bill 345 (1999) shifted oversight to the board.

Puterbaugh summarized FY 2023 data: 114 approved regulated institutions (79 in-state, 35 out-of-state), 1,986 approved programs, and 23,805 Kansas students enrolled in approved programs in FY 2023. She said 90 of the approved institutions were for‑profit, 21 nonprofit, and three were out‑of‑state public institutions. Students completed 12,450 awards in FY 2023 and roughly 95% of awards were at the certificate and diploma level; health programs (notably CNA and CMA) and business programs comprised the largest shares of certificate completions.

Puterbaugh also explained that recent regulatory changes to the 'physical presence' definition and added exemptions (for certain review courses) reduced the number of institutions required to renew approval, and noted an uptick in approved institutions in FY 2023 and FY 2024 (10 new institutions in FY 2023; 8 in FY 2024; since July 1 staff approved six additional institutions and one application is in process). She flagged federal changes to entry-level CDL training that require state authorization for providers; KBOR staff have approved four new CDL providers and expect several more may need approval.

Committee members asked for a list of approved schools; Puterbaugh directed members to the board website and offered to post the link in chat. She answered follow-up questions about out-of-state institutions that operate in Kansas and named a few partnerships (e.g., North Central Technical College, University of Missouri–Kansas City, University of Arkansas Grantham).