Kentucky State University could close with Gov. Bevin’s proposed cuts
Kentucky governor Matt Bevin addresses the Commonwealth with his budget for the next two years on Tuesday at the Capitol building in Frankfort. The budget included a $110 million cut from UK’s state general funding over the next two years.
February 8, 2016
Kentucky State University President Raymond Burse said the school could close because of proposed budget cuts from Gov. Matt Bevin.
In a letter to the university’s stakeholders, Burse wrote that the school may declare financial exigency or prepare a closure plan, but that he is working hard “to ensure that Kentucky State University is here for another 130 years.”
Bevin proposed cutting the historically black college’s state funding by 4.5 percent for the remainder of this fiscal year, and 9 percent in the following year.
The Courier-Journal reported that KSU has struggled in recent years with low graduation rates and enrollment — with 1,588 students in 2014 compared to 2,029 in 2013.
UK faces similar cuts, but has better enrollment numbers than ever before, and graduation rates are at the second highest in UK’s history.
