Bachelor's Degrees for $750/Year? Newman's Plan to Revitalize Rural Kansas

WICHITA, KS – August 20, 2026 – For many students in rural Kansas, the path to a bachelor’s degree has long been a one-way road out of town. The choice often boiled down to uprooting their lives and heading to a larger city or forgoing a four-year degree altogether. Now, a Wichita-based university is systematically dismantling that barrier, community by community, with a model that seems almost too good to be true: a bachelor’s degree for as little as $750 a year, earned right in their hometown.

Newman University this week announced a significant expansion of its HERE program, a partnership initiative that brings bachelor's degree completion programs directly to community college campuses. The program will now be available to students at Allen Community College in Iola, Hutchinson Community College, and Colby Community College, bringing the total number of participating communities to six. For towns facing workforce shortages and the steady drain of young talent, this expansion isn't just an academic announcement—it's a potential economic lifeline.

A New Model for the 'Education Desert'

The HERE program is designed to solve two of the biggest obstacles in higher education: cost and location. After students earn their associate degree, they can seamlessly transition into a Newman bachelor’s program delivered locally through a mix of in-person, online, and evening classes. This flexibility allows students to continue working and living in their communities, a critical factor for non-traditional students and those with family commitments.

The program’s most striking feature is its affordability. Through a combination of scholarships and financial aid, officials state that most students can complete their degree for just $750 annually. This figure stands in stark contrast to the soaring tuition costs that have put a four-year degree out of reach for many. According to university leadership, the model is built to serve the very students often left behind, including many who are Pell Grant-eligible or the first in their families to attend college.

For communities like Hutchinson, the impact could be transformative. “The closest public university is currently 50 miles away from Hutchinson, and for many students, a traditional private college is not feasible due to cost,” said Dr. Tricia Paramore, President of Hutchinson Community College. “Newman University is bringing bachelor’s degrees to Hutchinson, and meeting students where they are at. We believe this new program will open doors for students.”

This sentiment is echoed across the new partner locations. Dr. Lyvier Leffler, President of Allen Community College, noted the broad benefits expected for Iola. “Our community will greatly benefit from experienced professionals joining the workforce, contributing to our local hospitals, schools, agricultural industry as well as companies large and small,” she said.

Fueling Local Workforces and Reversing Brain Drain

Beyond individual opportunity, the HERE program is a strategic intervention aimed at solving critical workforce shortages across Kansas. The degree tracks offered are not arbitrary; they are specifically aligned with the high-demand careers in each region. With up to 10 bachelor's tracks available, including business, computer science, and agricultural technology, the program directly addresses local economic needs.

In Northwest Kansas, the need is particularly acute in essential public services. “Colby and communities throughout rural Kansas continue to face a critical need for qualified educators and nurses,” explained Seth Carter, President of Colby Community College. “The HERE program provides our students with an opportunity to pursue these high-demand careers without having to leave the communities they call home. By creating accessible pathways to advanced degrees, we can help strengthen our local workforce and keep talented individuals in Northwest Kansas.”

This focus on retention is a core tenet of the program. By enabling residents to upskill locally, Newman and its partners are creating a sustainable pipeline of talent that can fill jobs and contribute to the local tax base, rather than exporting its most ambitious young people to metropolitan areas. With over 70 graduates already produced by the program in its initial Southwest Kansas locations, the model has demonstrated its ability to change lives and, by extension, communities.

A Blueprint for Statewide Collaboration

While innovative, Newman University's partnership model is part of a larger, encouraging trend in Kansas higher education. Across the state, universities and community colleges are recognizing that collaboration is the most effective way to serve students and meet economic demands. In recent years, Emporia State University has forged transfer agreements with all 19 of the state’s community colleges, while Kansas State University has partnered with Dodge City Community College to expand agriculture and education degrees in the southwest.

The HERE program, however, distinguishes itself with its deep integration into the community college campus and its radical affordability. The initiative is championed by leaders like Alden Stout, Newman’s VP of Academic Affairs, who sees the program as a moral imperative. “The HERE program has been such a success for students across Southwest Kansas and, we are thrilled to expand into three more communities,” Stout said. “Knowledge is power, and we will continue to grow this program to make higher education accessible to students across Kansas.”

Enrollment is already open for the Fall 2026 semester at the new sites. As more students in Iola, Hutchinson, and Colby gain access to degrees that once seemed a distant dream, the HERE program is poised to prove that the best way to build a stronger future for rural Kansas is to invest in the people who already call it home.