Brief ⁽¹⁾

HB 2188, as amended, concerns community college fees and scholarships. The bill would remove the current prohibition on community colleges giving athletic scholarships to nonresidents of the State of Kansas and would allow student fees to be used for student scholarships, upon the approval of the community college board of trustees, and subject to the acknowledgment of student government representatives. The bill also would make clear that money received from private sector persons or organizations would be considered private, not public, funds.

Other proposed changes would remove unnecessary language concerning the expenditure of public funds for athletic scholarships and would add language authorizing community college boards of trustees to collect student fees at rates established by the boards.

Background

HB 2188 was requested by the State Board of Regents and supported by the Kansas Association of Community College Trustees. In its original version, the bill in its entirety would have defined "student fees" as private funds and would have permitted community colleges to use student fees to give scholarships, including athletic scholarships, to students both in and out of their districts and from out of state.

The amendment added by the Senate Committee would continue existing practice of defining "student fees" as public money, but would allow fees to be used for scholarships, including athletic scholarships, regardless of where the student resides, subject to approval by the board of trustees and subject to the acknowledgment of student government representatives. (Existing restrictions on all other public funds that prohibit their use for athletic scholarships or for scholarships for students outside the community college district would continue to apply.)

Senator Vratil, sponsor of the amendment, explained that the purpose of the amendment is to make sure that students are aware of how student fees are being used and that "acknowledge" means that student government representatives have received information, not that their approval is required. Senator Vratil told the Education Committee it is his expectation that student government bodies would develop formal procedures regarding acknowledgment of uses of student fees and that the acknowledgment would be in writing.

The Executive Director of the Kansas Association of Community College Trustees spoke in support of the amendment and said that all community college campuses have some form of student leadership body.

The legislation would have no fiscal impact on the state.

1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/fulltext.cgi